A Slave of Love
by HealingSpringWaters
Summary: Edward is a slave. His master always hurts him but one day he gets sold. His new master, Charlie Swan, is just as cruel as his other one. The same day he meets his new master's dauhter, Bella, and falls head over heels for her. She loves him back... B/E
1. Prolouge

**_This is about a slave named Edward. He is sold to Charlie Swan, an evil and cruel man. There he meets his daughter, Bella Swan, and he falls in love with her at once and she with him. Can they make this forbidden relationship work?  
_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own Twilight or it's characters. They rightfully belong to Stephenie Meyer. HOWEVER once my evil and diabolical plans unfold i TWILIGHT WILL BE MINE!! Yeah i wish  
**

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Prologue

**(EPOV)**

It was dark, so dark. Like the inside of the slave ship I had been sent over in when I was thirteen. Except that was different. In the slave ship you were packed in tightly, people squeezed into every possible space. You were scared but you were comforted by the slow, and sometimes labored, breathing of your other companion. This blackness was different. It was empty and silent. I was alone.

My mouth was dry as a desert and I was starving. I hadn't had anything to drink or eat in long who knows how long. There was no way to tell.

I knew where I was, of course. In the master's cellar, well it was more like a dungeon. He sent all of his slaves here when they embarrass or disgrace him in someway. It wasn't my fault that I was put here. His wife is very young and she has "a thing" for me. I avoid her at all costs but when I do run into her she tries to seduce me. This time master spotted me, hence me being here in the dungeon.

I stretched out trying to see how badly I was injured from the beating. I winced from the memory and the pain. There was a stinging in my back. I touched with my hand. It was wet. I was still bleeding or maybe I just reopened my wounds by stretching.

It was then that I heard voices. They were quiet and I could hardly make out what they were saying but suddenly the door flew open and I was blinded by the sudden brightness that lit up the dark room.

I was roughly grabbed by the guard and immediately chained up. I knew I had no chance of fighting him off. He was a big, solid wall of bulging muscle and I was just a lean seventeen year old. Don't get me wrong I'm not weak I have a hard, lean build. My muscles don't bulk like this guard, but I still have them, all slaves do.

Anyway, I was violently dressed in a dark shirt and pants and stuffed into a carriage with other slaves. I asked around trying to figure out where we were going. A frightened girl, younger than me, answered, "We're going to the slave auction. That's what I heard."

_Of course, the slave auction_, I thought, _the master's going to sell me._ At least I had a hope that I would have a better master than this one. At least I had a hope that I would have a better life.

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**A/N: Hey guys hows that? I already have the next chapter finished and i'll update as soon as i get some reviews. So tell me what you thought and lend some help if you want. Please no flames they are very upsetting and they destroy a writers confidence. If you dont like it then don't review. Can't wait to hear from ya. Love ya bye :-)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone. Thank you so much for the reviews. There were so many i was totally overwhelmed. I did not expect so many people to read my story. You guys are the BEST!! I wasn't going to update until I had most of the 2nd chapter done but you guys have inspired me so here you go. Now i just want to say somethings and then i'll shut up and you can read. Anyway most of the story will be in Edward's point of view. I just needed to put in Bella's POV because I needed to get her background straight. The story will switch to her POV but very rarely and only when necessary. I like stories written in Edward's POV so that's how i would like the story to stay. As for the time this takes place and where i would say sometime after the American Revolution in, obviously, America.  
_Disclaimer: _I sadly do not own Twilight no matter how hard i wish  
So there I have nothing left to say that i can think of so i'll shut up and ON WITH THE STORY!! **

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Chapter 1

**(BPOV)**

I looked in the mirror one last time and sighed. I hated wearing this dress. I was already thin. Why did I have to wear a dress that squeezed me so tight that I could barely breathe? It was considered high fashion now, but I preferred my comfortable satin dresses. I hated all this frilly lace and how the dress puffed out.

I have never been a normal girl. Normal girls would have loved this dress. They would have cooed over it then given their fathers a warm, excited thank-you. Not me. First, I was a simple girl. Second, I hated my father to the very core of my existence. Everyone believed that my mother's death had been an accident, even if they were never told the story how. But I knew the truth, he murdered her because she had tried to take me and run for it when I was very young. However, I remember that moment perfectly.

"_Honey? Bella are you awake?" my mom awoke me. Outside it was still dark. "Come on we are leaving."_

_I knew what she meant immediately. She and daddy have been yelling and he has been hurting her. I grabbed my coat and put on an old pair of traveling shoes. Yes we are finally leaving, I thought. She took me out the back and into a carriage. We rode for a bit and then she got out. _

_There was a man standing there in the dark. He didn't move when the carriage pulled up. In fact, he looked like a statue. There was a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach and I sensed that something was wrong, but my mom kept walking up to him. She tapped him on the shoulder and began talking to him. I was too far away to hear what she was saying, probably trying to assure our passage back to England. From my spot in the carriage I saw her eyes widen. She pulled his shoulder toward her and the man fell to the floor in a crumpled heap._

_Then out of the shadows emerged my father. He walked right up to my mother. She was petrified with fear. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked in a menacing voice._

"_I'm taking my daughter away from you, you foul, evil demon!" she yelled. My mom was a very bold and brave woman. However, in this situation it cost her, her life. I couldn't turn my head as her attacked her. It was horrible to watch and yet I was frozen. Finally, my father got up, his gruesome task finished, and stalked toward me in the carriage. This is it, I thought, he's going to kill me, too. But he didn't, instead he lifted me from the carriage and said,_

"_Come on, you're going home, now."_

There was a lump in my throat as I remembered my mother. But I wouldn't cry, I couldn't cry. And yet still my eyes filled up and spilled out. Just then I heard the front door slam.

"Isabella I'm home get down here now!" came my father's voice. Quickly I wiped the tears from my face and hurried down the stairs to see what my father wanted with me.

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**SOOO wat'd yall think 'bout it. Like it? love it? the chapters will get longer i can promise you this but for now school is taking up my time (I HATE SCHOOL) But i have excellent news. School decided to love me for once so im having a 5 day weekend so i should get a lot of chapters done HURRAY. Oh and one more thing i was having trouble figuring out how to post this chapter so if your story alerts have been going crazy with this story that would be my fault. SORRY but dont worry i have now mastered the art of updating chapters hahaha i know im a freak**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey hey everyone. How's it going. Thx so much for all the replies. You guys are great!! Anyway, I have to make one thing clear. A friend of mine asked me this I'm not going to mention any names cough cough pixie. Edward is not African American. Believe it or not but there were white slaves back then. Sometimes a family lost everything including having to sell their children as slaves. Sad isn't it? But it's true. It was a good question so i decided to answer it.  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters. However, I am glad to say that i do own Mora, Riley, Ben, and Adam. (You'll meet them soon) So that makes me feel better.  
_Anyway shutting up now ON WITH THE STORY!!**

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Chapter 2

**(EPOV)**

I was pulled from the carriage so roughly that I nearly stumbled. I looked up and saw a magnificent house. It had three floors plus an attic and basement. There were acres of land surrounding the house. I spied little dots on the horizon which I assumed were little cottages for the slaves and workers. I was pulled up the cobblestone pathway and through the front door.

Inside was beautiful. Once you stepped inside the house you were greeted by a grand staircase. And when I say grand I mean GRAND. It was a miniature version of the ones you would see at dances and balls back in Europe. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling. It was made of crystals and candles. I could only imagine how careful you had to be to light them. The walls were adorned with paintings and there were many sculptures set on small tables. From where I was standing, I could tell that there were many doors. My mind wandered off, thinking about what was behind those doors.

"Isabella I'm home get down here now!" boomed my new master's voice. I learned that his name was Charlie Swan. I didn't know what to think of him. He kept quiet the entire carriage ride.

Just then a girl appeared at the top of the stairway wearing what was considered the height of fashion in London (I only knew this because my other master's wife always talked about fashion trends). She was so beautiful that the splendor of the entrance way paled in comparison. She looked slightly uncomfortable in the dress and moved in an uncoordinated way. Long beautiful locks cascaded down her back. Her warm brown eyes were slightly confused and…what's that emotion just below the surface? Fear. Yes, she looked a little afraid. _Of what? _I wondered.

I knew immediately who I was looking at: Isabella Swan daughter of Charlie Swan. She moved down the staircase slowly. Not like most women do in a show off like fashion. No, it was more cautiously. I tried not to chuckle. Everyone in the room jumped when Charlie boomed out, "Hurry it up I haven't got all day!"

Isabella jumped more than I did causing her to slip coming down the last few steps. She began to fall and I saw it as if in slow motion. I quickly darted out to grab her just before she hit the floor. I caught her sideways; feet on the floor, upper body and head cradled against my chest. I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through me, coursing through every fiber in my body. I felt a flash of desire ignite in me. As soon as her eyes gazed into mine, showing gratitude, I knew that I wanted her to be mine.

Disappointment flooded through me as I immediately shot that idea down. I was a slave and she was a noble. First of all, it could never work. Second, why would someone as angelic as her want someone like me? What could I offer her? I had nothing. _I could offer her love_, a nagging voice in the back of my head said. _Maybe_, was my only answer. My thoughts were interrupted.

"Remove your hands from her. You have no right to touch her," one of the guards spat.

Gently, I put Isabella back on her feet. She muttered a quick "thank you" and then stood in front of her father.

"Isabella," her father scolded,"you must be more careful. Your clumsiness is an embarrassment to me. You are very lucky that no one important was here."

Then he rounded on me. "And you are not to touch a person of noble descent or else you will be severely punished. This is your only warning. Next time…well let's just hope there isn't a next time."

With that, he stalked off, but not before shouting, "Mora, I need you to show our new slave around the house!"

I feeble voice from the third floor answered, "Coming master."

I was left alone in the entryway with Isabella. She turned to me.

"Thank you for catching me. That happens very often." She seemed very embarrassed.

"That's okay. I know that there are a lot of men out there that wouldn't mind catching you…Isabella, right?"

She blushed scarlet and shook her head, "I prefer Bella and your name is…"

"Edward," I finished, "at your service, ma'am."

She giggled quietly. It was a light, musical laugh. I committed it to memory, remembering it as well as her smile. Just then, another girl appeared. She was obviously a maid. Bella said a quick "good bye" and walked up the stairway.

"Hi I'm Mora. I'm going to show you around," the girl said.

I looked at her. She had fair skin and raven black hair. Blue eyes gazed back at me. She was a good head shorter than me, even shorter than Bella. However, I knew that she was the kind of person that wouldn't take anything from anyone. I could tell that she would fight back and, most likely, win.

"I'm Edward. It's nice to meet you Mora."

She hmmmed. "You don't act like a slave."

I smiled, "My parents brought me up to be a gentleman. They were very strict when raising me."

"You seem to have turned out alright. I'd say they did a great job. Come on, I'll show you the house."

Mora was a very nice girl. She showed me most of the house. Well, only the important rooms. I was shown Charlie's room, Bella's room, the Billiard Room, the Library, the Dining Room, and a few of the guest bedrooms. I learned that the maids had the third floor while the field workers (they call them workers and maids but I learned that we are all slaves) stayed in small cottages that were scattered throughout the property. Next, she took me into the kitchen. It was filled with wondrous scents and aromas. I could tell that dinner was going to be delicious even though I knew that I won't be attending it. Mora talked to a couple of people than she looked at a few papers. Finally, she turned to me, a friendly smile on her lips.

"There's room in the cabin closest to the house. You'll be staying there," she said.

Then she led me out the back door and into the yard. We walked for about five minutes before the cabin came into sight. Pretty soon afterward we reached it. She opened the door. It was very small. A small, wooden dresser with four drawers was placed by the door. There were two bunk beds and a small window. Another door led to what I would learn was the bathroom.

As soon as Mora opened the door the three boys in the room jumped, obviously expecting someone else, but relaxed when they saw her.

"Hey Mora," they chorused.

"Hey guys," she introduced me," this is Edward. He's new and he'll be staying here with you. I know you'll help him out with the schedule and tell him all of the procedures. Am I right?"

They all nodded. The one who had the bunk bed all to himself spoke first. He was the tallest and obviously the leader.

"Hey I'm Adam. Nice to meet you Edward," he smiled, "This is Riley." He pointed to a boy with bleach blonde hair. "And this is Ben" Adam pointed to the other boy. Ben's skin was very tan so I assumed he came from a sunny climate.

Mora interrupted, "Great now that we all know each other, I really have to go." She removed Riley's arms from her waist. I hadn't even noticed him walk over to her. Instead of letting her go, he just turned her around and held her.

"I really need to go." Riley hadn't loosened his grip. Mora looked around helplessly. Then it looked like she had an idea. She sighed and looked into Riley's eyes. "If I don't get to my next job on time than the master will beat me black and blue. You wouldn't want that to happen would you?"

Riley instantly froze. He looked very scared. Then he let her go, but not without giving her a quick kiss. She walked back towards the house.

"I'm so lucky to have her," Riley sighed.

"Yeah, I wonder how hard she got hit in the head," Ben joked.

"What?" Riley looked infuriated.

"Cool it guys," Adam interrupted," Come on let's go to bed. We have to get up early tomorrow."

"When don't we have to get up early," Riley muttered.

I chuckled. Adam threw me an exasperated look.

"Just follow us and do what we do. You'll learn quickly," Adam said.

Then everyone climbed into bed. I got top bunk. Adam was below me. I instantly fell asleep. The last thought going through my head was Bella and how I couldn't wait to see her again.

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**Sooo did you like it? love it? I would love to hear your thoughts so go ahead and review. I haven't really got much to say except WHO LOVED THE TWILIGHT MOVIE SNEAK PEAK my friend called right after it was over and we spent five whole minutes screaming. IT WAS AWESOME!! (no i do not have a problem but i will proudly say that i'm obsessed. But come on who wouldn't be? Anyway i've got to go. My stupid computer caught a virus that causes something called Internet Speed Moniter to pop up frequently AND IT'S FRIGGEN ANNOYING THE HELL OUT OF ME!! Does anyone want to offer some advice as to how to cure it? Don't worry it won't stop me from updating. And it shouldn't stop you from reviewing. Why are you still reading this? Review! Review! **


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! How's it going. I am so sorry about not updating. This chapter (and the next one) has been done for a week now. (I'll update the next one tomorrow) My internet disconnected itself and I couldn't fix it. I was so mad. (hint for the future: don't scream at your computer it doesn't work) Anyway, ENJOY!!  
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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Chapter 3

**(EPOV)**

Bella and I were walking through a path in the forest. She was dressed in a simple blood red satin dress. I had no idea where I was going, but Bella seemed to know. She held my hand, eagerly pulling me forward.

"Come Edward. I have something to show you," she called in her soft voice.

She looked just like an angel. I could almost see the wings and halo. She was the most beautiful person I've ever met.

"We're almost there." Looking away from her striking milk chocolate eyes I saw a bright light up ahead. We speed up, keen to reach the light.

"Edward," she whispered as the light grew brighter. "Edward."

"Edward, come on man wake up." Something was shaking me.

I opened my eyes. Adam was right in my face trying to wake me. I gave a startled cry and sprang up knocking heads with him.

"Ow!" he yelled, jerking his head back and rubbing it. "If this is what I'm going to get for waking you up then I quit!"

Riley and Ben were on the floor laughing their heads off. I got up and apologized to Adam. It was still dark outside, but I could tell that dawn was approaching.

"Why did you wake me up?" I demanded my dream about Bella still fresh in my mind.

"It's time to get up," Ben said still chuckling. "Besides…"

"You should have heard yourself," Riley interrupted. "Bella, oh Bella" He moaned in a false imitation of me before him and Ben started into their fits of laughter. Adam whacked them both in the back of the head.

"You should talk Riley," he said. "When you and Mora got together…well let's just say that I learned way too much information about what you two did in the forest from your dreams."

Riley blushed such a deep red that I thought he was going to die from embarrassment, or at least kill Adam.

"Come on guys, let's get ready for the day," Ben said.

I hopped off the bed and followed them out the door. They walked straight to the house and into the kitchen. There were many other slaves there waiting for breakfast and the list of their daily chores. Riley went straight to Mora and the rest of us followed. She handed out our lists.Then we had our breakfast: an apple each. It was slightly rotten, but I picked off the moldy parts. Mora couldn't eat with us today, even though she usually did, she had to work right away.

After breakfast we went out to the fields. Charlie owned a cotton plantation that stretched for miles. I knew that this was going to be back-breaking labor. Riley told me that we had to pick cotton until lunch. Then we eat lunch and do the rest of the chores. If we don't complete the tasks then we got a whipping.

Six hours later my back was killing me. I could barely stand up. I was covered in sweat and my fingers were aching. I was starving and very parched. We weren't allowed to talk to the other workers but I knew that Adam, Ben, and Riley (even though they had been here longer) were no better. Finally, the lunch bell rang. I never thought I would be so happy to hear it. I was about to faint from heat exhaustion.

We all stumbled back to the house for a hearty meal which consisted of a couple slices of ham and water. I looked at my afternoon chores. I had to clean the house. Attached was a list of all the rooms I had to clean as well as blueprints of the house with each room labeled. When lunch ended I turned to go into the house when one of the supervisors yanked me back.

"Where do you think your going?" he sneered.

"I'm going to clean the house," I replied my temper boiling. These guys were getting on my nerves.

"Not like that. You'll stink up the house," was his answer. I felt my face grow hot with humiliation. "You have to take a shower first."

I felt relieved. A shower, that sounded good. Well, I found out that a shower doesn't actually mean a shower. Basically, you strip off you're clothes, put them somewhere that you can get them later, and then the guards poor buckets of ice cold water on your head. It felt nice, but still the water was colder than the snow on the tops of a mountain.

I was then given some new clothes, which I was to return later, and sent to do my afternoon chores.

It took a while, but finally I had one room left. This room, like most of the others, looked like it was never used. It was filled with stuff like a huge vase, flowers, a couch, a vanity table, and an overstuffed arm chair. However, what I did not expect to find was a women standing by the window, looking out into the forest. It was Bella. Behind me the door slammed shut. We both jumped.

Then she turned around to look at me. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face wet with tears. Who knew how long she'd been crying? In her hands was a porcelain doll. It was very old, but very well kept. It had definitely come from England. Her eyes widened as she recognized me. She put down the doll, wiped her eyes, then turned back to the window.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked her voice as cool as ice.

"Cleaning," I answered.

"Can't you do a different room?"

I began to walk towards her. "It's the last one on my list. What's wrong?"

She whirled around so fast I almost missed it. Her eyes were blazing with an angry fire. And then, impossibly, she was in my arms, crying once more. I sat down in a chair and pulled her into my lap. I cradled her against my chest and stroked her hair while I waited for her to calm down. Finally she stopped.

"Bella what happened?" I tried again.

"This has always been a sad day for me," she hiccuped.

"What happened?"

She hesitated; thinking about whether or not to tell me. She made up her mind and looked into my eyes.

"Edward you've met my father right?"

I nodded.

"Haven't you ever wondered what happened to my mother?" she asked.

"Yeah, I thought about that a couple times."

"Well, she was murdered."

My eyes flew open in shock. I didn't see that one coming.

"Who…?" I began.

"My father," she stated.

"Tell me the story," It wasn't a question, it was a demand.

"My father used to hit my mother. One night she tried to run away with me. We were going back to England and he stopped her. He beat her to death and then took me home like nothing had ever happened," she finished.

I was shocked. I knew that my new master was mean, but I never dreamed he could be so brutal. I just held her closer to me. That man would never hurt Bella. I would make sure of it.

"That was my mother's favorite doll as a child. She gave it to me when I was born. It's all I have left of her. When I was little she used to stand there over by the window cradling me in her arms. She used to watch the slaves work and she hated it. She hated how they were treated and how they never got enough to eat. She used to sneak food down to the kitchens and she would always make sure that the food was edible before the slaves ate it. She used to say all the time 'Bella when you get older and have your own house promise me that you'll treat all your workers fairly. And you'll give them food fit for eating. And a comfortable bed to sleep in.' I would always nod and promise her," then she looked up at me. "What about you Edward? You definitely don't act like a slave. You're much more gentleman-like. What's your story?"

She was honest with me so I figured What the heck? And I told her.

"My family wasn't rich. We just barely got by. My father was a farmer and a very proud man. My ancestors had lived in the English countryside for many years and nothing could get him to leave our home," I began.

_It was a rainy day. It had been raining for a long time. "Come inside Edward. You'll catch your death out there," my mom called from the house._

_I rolled my eyes and went in. She was so overprotective sometimes. After all, I was thirteen now. I could look after myself. Inside was warm and bright. My father was sitting by the fireplace. My mom was sewing on the couch. I sat down by her. Furious knocking sounded at the door. I looked at my father in confusion. We weren't expecting anyone. My father went to answer the door. As soon as it opened a man burst through._

"_You have to get out of here now," he practically yelled. "The rain has caused flooding which destroyed our crops. We can't afford to pay the taxes so the king is sending his men over to force us to pay. We're evacuating the town."_

_My father stood up. "The Masens have lived on this soil for many generations. I will not leave my home. Let them come if they wish, I will not be driven off my land." Then his forehead crinkled with worry. "However, you may take my family. I will send for them when it is safe."_

"_You'll be killed," said the man._

"_I will not be driven off my land," my father repeated._

"_So be it," the man sighed._

"_Edward, go pack some clothes. We're leaving," my mother said._

_I did what I was told. I was convinced that I would return to my house so I just crammed a bag full of clothes and returned downstairs where my parents were saying good-bye. I hugged my father. I couldn't bear the thought of losing him. I didn't care if I was thirteen It wasn't ready to take care of my mother alone._

"_Take care of yourself and your mother. I'll see you soon," he said._

_Then we walked out the door with the man. I looked back and saw my father waving. I couldn't wait until this was resolved._

It was silent after I finished my story.

"What happened then?" Bella asked quietly.

"My father wouldn't run so the guards killed him. When we returned, the house had been burnt to the ground," Bella gasped, "My mother and I lived on the streets for some time after that. Then one day she fell seriously ill. She knew she was going to die so she sold me into slavery, hoping that I would have a better life. I never saw her again," I looked at the window as I continued the story of my life. "I was sent here in a regular ship, but I had to stay in the cargo hold with other white slaves. It was very dark down there. There weren't many slaves on that ship so we were all separated. For most of the journey, I was alone. When I got off I was immediately sold to my previous master. He was cruel and for some reason his wife was always trying to seduce me. He caught me once and locked me in a cell in the basement for a long time. Then he brought me to an auction were your father bought me. So here I am," I finished.

"Here you are," she repeated softly.

We didn't say much after that; we just looked into each other's eyes. The dinner bell made us both jump. Reluctantly, I let her go and stood up. She seemed just as unwilling to leave as I was.

"If anyone asks I'll tell them that you did clean this room," she mumbled, turning to go.

"Wait," I called out as I grabbed her. "When can I see you again?"

She looked surprised. "I don't know Edward, I really don't. We… we shouldn't be together or seeing each other, for that matter, it's just not right… I'm not allowed. I… I have to go," and with that she fled the room.

I wasn't to let down. After all, it wasn't that big of a house. And we were all a part of it.

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**Hope you loved it!! Review Review Review!! Like I said before I'm gonna update tommorrow. Love ya!! I have to go other people need the computer.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Thx so much for all the reviews. Ok so i lied. My little brother got a new computer game and he has been playing it for the last 48 hours except when he let me update that last chapter. I hope you all love it. And i apologize to Ben. Sorry Ben.  
Disclaimer: I am sad to say that i don't own twilight. Never have and probably never will...maybe. DON'T LOOK AT ME I DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO MAKE TWILIGHT MINE!!**

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Chapter 4

**(EPOV)**

I walked downstairs and went into the room that I took a "shower" in and collected my clothes. I returned the ones I had worn in the house. Then, I went to dinner. I must have been totally spaced out because Riley asked if something was bothering me. I told him, Adam, and Mora about how I met Bella in one of the rooms. I didn't tell them that she was crying or about her mother. I just said that we talked.

"Listen Edward," Adam said when I finished. "Don't fall in love with her. She's nothing but a heart breaker. Trust me I know. See that one guy over there," I looked at the person he pointed out. He was about my age with blonde hair. "His name is Mike. It was no secret that he loved Bella. Some say he still does. I don't know if that's true, but what I do know is that he was discovered talking to her, just a casual conversation, and he got beat so hard he was out of work for days. Charlie is very protective of his daughter, you know."

I looked at Mike again. He did wince a little when he moved his back. _Charlie is very protective of his daughter, _Adam's words rang in my ear. Yeah right, he probably just doesn't want anyone to take her away; like Bella's mom… I thought about what Bella had told me. That man was twisted, for beating his wife and then killing her as she tried to leave.

It was then that I noticed someone was missing.

"Hey where's Ben?" I asked.

Riley looked around with a frown on his face. "I don't know," he said. "I know he was supposed to be carrying buckets of the cotton we picked, but that can't have taken that him this long."

"Maybe he'll show up at the cabin," Mora said.

"Maybe," I repeated but none of us, even Mora, looked convinced.

"Come on; let's go see if he skipped dinner. Mora, are you working?" Riley asked.

"No, I'll come with you guys," she said getting up with the rest of us.

We walked to the cabin and waited for our quiet friend. Two hours later it was dark outside, but our cabin was well lit. Ben still hadn't shown up. Adam was pacing in front of the door. I was on my bed looking up at the beams that intersected and held our roof up. Riley was in the corner with Mora on his lap. They were whispering to each other. I closed my eyes and wished that it were me and Bella.

Suddenly, Adam stopped his pacing and looked outside the window. I looked, too, but couldn't see anything. Then again Adam did have the sharpest eyes and best vision. He ran out the door so fast that the rest of us were too shocked to do anything. Riley looked at me, confusion etched on his face. I just shrugged. At that moment Adam burst through the door supporting someone else. Mora gasped, it was Ben. He was badly hurt and bleeding. I immediately jumped off my bunk as Mora and Riley came over from the corner.

"I just saw him collapse on the path just now," Adam answered the unspoken question.

"Lay him on the bed. Make sure he's lying on his stomach," Mora commanded. "I'll be right back."

She walked out the door and ran back towards the house. I wondered what she was doing. Adam and Riley were looking over Ben who was unconscious on Adam's bunk. His back was mangled and it looked like he had been whipped, which was probably what had happened. But why? I wondered, Ben wouldn't do anything wrong. He was a nice and quiet guy that did his work without a complaint.

Mora burst through the door so suddenly that it startled all of us. She was carrying an empty bucket, some bottles and a few rags. She threw the bucket at Riley.

"Don't just stand there like your brain dead. Fill that bucket with water," she snapped at her boyfriend. It was the first time I'd ever heard her talk like that. Then she rounded on Adam. "Have you looked at the cut? What am I dealing with?"

"He was whipped ma'am," Adam said.

"Did you check the cut to see if the hook is in the cut?" she demanded.

"Uh, no," Adam said shrinking back.

"Well then why are you standing there like deadwood? Go check!" she yelled.

"What should I do?" I asked.

"Go help Adam. I have to get the medicines ready," she said, looking through the bottles and placing them on a small table.

"What's her problem?" I asked Adam quietly as I helped him look at the cut.

"Mora is very serious when it comes to medicine and cuts. She hates how the slaves are whipped here. Some woman in her family was a medicine woman during the time of the Revolution. The skills were passed down from mother to daughter. She takes healing very seriously," he explained.

_She must, _I thought, _to snap at her own boyfriend like that._ Then Riley came back into the room with the water. We all backed off to get out of Mora's way, but still ready to help if she needed it. She cleaned to wound with water and wiped away the blood. Next, she applied an assortment of medicines and lotions to it. Riley explained that it was to heal the wound, keep it clean, and help the skin regenerate faster. If he wasn't unconscious, I learned that the pain would have killed Ben. Lastly, she wrapped up the wound in bandages. After assuring us a thousand times that Ben would be fine she packed up everything in the bucket, kissed Riley, said good-night, and went back to the house. We didn't want to move Ben so Adam took his place above Riley. I feel asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. _What a day,_ was my final thought before I entered the realm of sleep and became dead to the world.

It was a few days before Ben could go back to work, but we knew the whole story by that time. As soon as he awoke we demanded that he tell us what had happened. He said that he had been carrying baskets of cotton, (I'd seen those baskets and they were half my height and three times my width. I could barely imagine Ben carrying it.) when one of them slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor spilling its contents. The guards had happily punished him for the accident. He had barely been able to walk, which explains why it had taken him so long to get back. He couldn't remember anything else except seeing the cabin and collapsing.

Riley wanted to murder every guard that had hurt Ben, but Adam sadly told him that they would get into big trouble. I didn't care, I was all for Riley's plan. It wasn't Ben's fault. He was exhausted when he had to do it. I had to admit, I was worried about Ben's reaction to the incident. He always looked like he was thinking hard, like he was somewhere else. I got my answer a couple nights later.

I had no idea what woke me up, but I knew that it was the middle of the night. I looked over and saw that Ben's bed was empty. Quietly, I walked out the door. Ben was outside sitting up against the wall. It was a very chilly night. Winter was approaching.

"What are you doing up so late?" he asked.

"Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Thinking,"

"About?" I pressed.

"About this life that I have right now. If it's really worth it. If I'm better off somewhere else," he answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind. Forget I mentioned it,"

I nodded; unsure of what to say.

Ben chuckled humorlessly, "You know, if you were to run away as soon as you hit the trees you'd be free."

I didn't have I reply to this either. Instead, I shivered.

He noticed, "Go to bed. I'll go in soon."

" 'Kay night," I said getting up.

He just nodded. I was tired and this time when I fell asleep, I didn't wake up.

The next morning Riley shook me awake. "Come on man. Get up!" he yelled.

"Whatssa matter," I said groggily.

"Ben's gone."

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**Where's Ben? Haha you don't get to know until the next chapter : P Anyway that was a pathetic attempt at a cliffhanger which is wierd cause im normally good at them. Anyway i can't talk for long my abnormally small brother is kicking me off the computer. I'll try hard to update soon but don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen for a few days. Review please!!  
LOve ya**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hehehe alright before you all kill me for not updating sooner might i remind you that if i'm dead no one will finish this story. Okay now that that's all cleared up i'm really really sorry for not updating sooner. Read my lame excuses a the bottom. And since you have all been so nice and patient (and haven't chased me with flaming torches and pitch forks) then i will gladly shut up and let you read this. Oh and i want to give a special thank you to my two very good friends Amber and Charlotte (i know you guys are reading this) without their help this chapter would not be here. So THX I LOVE YOU GUYS!!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight *cries hysterically***

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Chapter 5

**(EPOV)**

"What do you mean Ben's gone?" I demanded.

"I woke up and he was gone," said Riley.

"How is he gone?" I was so confused. How could Ben just disappear?

"Hey guys I found something!" Adam shouted. He held up a piece of paper. I had no idea what it was. I was still a bit groggy.

"Guys," Adam read. So it was a note. "I'm leaving. I can't stand this anymore. Don't worry about me I'll be fine. I'm gonna find a job in the city somewhere. If you guys are smart you'll escape one day, too. See you around, Ben."

"He ran away?" Riley shouted.

I had to admit, I was very impressed. Quiet, calm Ben had run for it. I knew he would be all right. He was very smart and very resourceful. I wondered what he would do with himself. A carpenter, maybe, or a metal smith; he was very good with his hands. But still I just couldn't believe he was gone. I wondered what Charlie would do.

At the end of the day a guard was sent over to see why Ben hadn't reported to work. When he discovered what had happened Charlie was informed and we were summoned to house. Once we got there Charlie demanded that we tell him everything we knew and threatened us with a whipping if we didn't. So we told him everything we knew, though we left out the note part. We thought that it would be funny to see the guards running all over the property, like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to find him. Meanwhile Ben's like a thousand miles away in some city. In fact, that's exactly what happened. Charlie ordered them to find him. At the end of the day they all returned with the same news: Ben was no where to be found.

We all left the house with smug smiles on our faces. At dinner Adam raised his glass of water.

"Hm hm," he cleared his throat and raised his glass. "To Ben"

"To Ben," we chorused.

"God bless his new found freedom. May he find whatever he needs to live a healthy and safe life," Adam said.

"Amen!" Riley yelled.

Mora and I were laughing. Even Adam was chuckling. We didn't know what we were laughing at. Maybe it was because Ben had escaped this prison. Maybe it was how ridiculous the guards had looked trying to find him. Whatever it was, we were laughing hysterically now. The other slaves were looking at us like we had lost it. We probably did.

Later that night I looked out the window and wondered about…well a lot of things really. I wondered where Ben was. What he was doing right now. If I would ever get out of here. If my mom was finally with my father. And I wondered about Bella. I wondered if we would ever be together; what she was thinking about right now. The non-thinking part of my brain told me she was probably sleeping right now. With that last thought I drifted off into the realm of sleep and began to dream of running away, too. With Bella at my side.

Three days later Mora didn't show up for lunch on time and we got worried. She had been spending every minute of free time with Riley and us. The unreasonable part of me drifted off thinking that Charlie had locked her up and was torturing her right now. Even though I knew that wasn't possible I thinking that Riley was thinking along the same lines as me. Then Mora walked in and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Riley dashed to her side immediately which didn't take long because our table was right next to the door.

Then a man appeared right behind her. Well he wasn't really a man he was about my age, maybe older, but he was built like one of those people you'd see carrying crates that weighed a ton off ships. And he was huge, height wise and width wise, except that he was all muscle. Riley looked a little confused and I knew I did, too.

"Guys," Mora announced, "Meet your new cabin mate: Emmett. Emmett, meet the guys. That's Adam and Edward and this is Riley." Her eyes glowed when she introduced Riley.

She really loved him. I remember Riley telling me that he would propose to her as soon as he had something to give as a sign that they were engaged. I hoped he would find something to replace a ring because there is no way he could afford something like that. I hoped that it would happen soon. I don't think they could be any more in love than they were right now.

We all waved to Emmett and invited him to sit down. The more he talked to him, the he opened up. Soon he was laughing just as loud as we were and goofing off with Riley. He was great, like the older brother I wish I had.

In just a few days time, Emmett had settled in and officially become one of us. He was a bigger goofball than Riley which surprised me. But altogether I was glad that I wasn't the new guy anymore. I rarely saw Bella anymore; work just didn't give me the time. I was stuck with all the outside work, too.

Still I thought about her, despite Adam's warnings to forget her, almost everyday. And the dreams continued. It was the same one every time. We always walked through the same forest, never speaking. It was dim except for the light in the distance. We always walked toward it but every time we got close I would always awaken. Finally, I got my chance to be with her.

My last task of the day was to clean out the stables. I had just finished and was about to leave when I noticed Bella with one of the horses. She was whispering to him and he seemed to understand.

"Bella?"

"Oh, hello Edward. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," I said. The truth, I was curious.

"I like to come and spend time with the horses."

"Do you ride?"

She looked at me like I was insane. "No it's not proper for a lady." It was true but there was a longing in her eyes that told me she wanted otherwise. "Do you know how to ride?"

"Yes I learned when I was a boy. Maybe I could teach you sometime."

"I'd like that a lot," she smiled. Then she looked back at the horse, her eyebrows furrowed. Bella was thinking hard. Finally, she made up her mind. "Are you doing anything right now?"

"No nothing. I just finished."

"Come with me then. I have something to show you," she smiled welcomingly. It was an invite; one that I was free to refuse. _Don't fall in love with her, _Adam's words rang in my head._ She's nothing but a heart breaker._

Of course I didn't believe Adam so I accepted and followed her out the door. She headed towards the words. I sensed a déjà vu happening though I wasn't sure what it was. Once we entered the forest and walked so deep that the light was dim it came back to me. This looked like my dream, except that she was wearing a midnight blue satin dress instead of a blood red one. Then up ahead came the light; the place that I never reached. Closer and closer.

"Come on, we're almost there," Bella said.

We were moving faster now. My stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. I was eager and excited at the same time. This was no dream. No waking up this time. I was so close to finding out what was there. So close. The light was almost blinding now. I stepped out of the trees and looked around and my breath hitched.

**Thx for reading. Hope you liked it. Anyway now for the lame excuses.  
1. I got very minor writers block but it's all better  
2. Everytime i got on the computer my mother made me do something else  
3. My little brother was hogging the computer...again  
And that's about it but believe me it adds up. On a happier note that virus that i mentioned a few chapters ago I GOT RID OF IT and the best part is I DID NOTHING HURRAY EVERYONE CELEBRATE. Again thank you Charlotte and Amber if not for you i would not have finished this chapter. Everyone review please.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone thx for all the reviews. I love them. Keep them coming. I'm soo sorry this took so long to update. I knew what i wanted to write about but i wasn't sure how to write it. Ya no what i mean? Anyway, i was also grounded from the computer cause last time i updated i spent about 10 hours on the computer so that was a problem. Anyway u will notice that i am very evil in this chapter but i have some advice for u LIVE WITH IT!! I want to thank a rose in the sand without her this chapter would've taken longer to write. Basically this is what happened**

**a rose in the sand: What are you doing?**

**Me: talking to you**

**a rose in the sand: WHAT!! you have a story to write so get writing!!**

**Me: Ok mom**

**a rose in the sand: Love ya too**

**So thats what happened. Anyways on with the story!  
Disclaimer: I am sad to admit that Twilight is not mine and it rightfully belongs to Stephanie Meyer. You lucky duckling you**

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Chapter 6

**(EPOV)**

I stepped out into a beautiful, circular meadow. A small stream bubbled; miniature fish swam in it, playing hide and seek with each other. Wildflowers of all colors bloomed here and there. The light breeze was sweet. It smelled of honey and blossoms and other delicious things.

The meadow was almost as beautiful as the girl standing next to me.

Almost.

The sun made her hair shine and she seemed to glow with a light that had nothing to do the sun. My heart clenched as realization hit me. Bella was an angel. What was I doing here with her? It's just not meant to be.

Then she took my hand in hers.

"My mother used to take me here," she whispered. "It was our special place."

At that moment I knew how much she must've trusted me to take me here. She pulled me towards the center and sat me down in the soft grass. I wasn't sure what to say so I kept my mouth shut and waited for her to speak.

"Everyday," she began, "she would bring me here and she would tell me about her life before she was married to my dad. She told me that she was in love with this one boy named Phil and that they secretly dated. Then when she was married off to Charlie it broke both of their hearts. I know she kept in touch with him for a little while, but then she lost contact. She also used to talk to me about where we would go if we could runaway from my father. She changed the place every time and told me everything she knew about that place. But I loved it when she told me stories. They just seemed so real." She sighed happily, lost in her memories.

"Thanks for me here," I said," I know how special this place is to you."

It was all I could think of, but it must have been the right thing to say because she moved closer to me and put her head on my shoulder. Her eyes were closed and she looked so unreal that I almost cried. Slowly I put my arm around her and, to my delight, she moved closer.

We talked about a lot: our families, parents. I told her all about my quiet country life back in England. She asked if I missed it.

"I don't know," I answered. "I certainly miss parts of it but there's really nothing left for me there. I have no parents and no family. I don't dwell in the past. I live for the future. Besides, I'm with you."

She blushed crimson. In the dying light it made her look even more surreal. I would spend the rest of my life making her blush and smile and laugh.

We remained like that for a long time. Finally, when the light was almost completely gone I reluctantly let go of her.

"Bella," I whispered.

"What is it Edward?"

"We have to go back. Your father will notice that something is wrong if you're not at dinner," I reasoned.

I was about to stand up, but then I made the mistake of looking into her eyes; her mesmerizing chocolate brown orbs. I was stunned. I couldn't move. It seemed like she couldn't either.

We leaned in. Closer and closer. We closed our eyes and I prepared myself to meet her lips. Half an inch; now a quarter of an inch. Then…

Riiing. Riiing.

The dinner bell.

We jerked apart. She had to get back now before her father sent out people to look for her. When I looked at her she looked scared. I pulled her up and hugged her close. She hugged me back. I couldn't believe dinner had ruined this moment; this perfect moment. I sighed angrily. _So close,_ I thought,_ so close._

I looked at her once more and then, hand in hand, we sprinted through the forest; heading back to the house. When we arrived we were panting and both of our faces were flushed. I led her up the back steps and opened the door for her. She stepped halfway through then looked back at me.

"Thank you Edward," she said.

"For what?" I inquired.

"For everything," was her answer.

Then she leaned in and pecked my cheek. It felt warm. I put my hand to my cheek and stared after her as she walked away.

Back in reality, at the dinner table, nobody asked where I had been. They probably assumed that the chores had taken me a long time. It was just as well because I was too busy going over the events of the afternoon. I was burning them into my memory, determined not to lose them. Then Mora stood up and called everyone's attention.

"I have an announcement to make," she proclaimed. "We will be having visitors soon and the master wants everything to be well prepared. You will get your assignments tomorrow and will begin your work immediately."

"Who is visiting?" I asked.

Mora gave me a long look.

"The visitors are…."

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**Muwhahaha I told you i was evil this chapter. I just had to interupt the kiss. It was just the perfect moment to ruin and i had to do it. Don't get me wrong i'm the same way with movies. I can take a totally romantic or precious moment and just kill it with comedy. It's my favorite thing to do. Also, HA another cliffy. oooohhh who is it? Does anyone know? One person no wait 2 people that i know can probably guess. Cause it was one girl's idea and i told my friend cause she was bugging me. Sorry if the chapter was a little short like i said i didnt know what to write i was grounded and i was itching 2 update and don't give me that look you all wanted to read it. And can't disappoint my precious readers. So REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW i wanna know ur thoughts byeee for now **


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey hey how's it going everybody? So sorry. I was busy with minor writers block. Maybe i should take FalseDivinity's advice and make an outline. Problem: I don't have the patience. But yeah i've been reading stories and getting my thoughts together. No worries i'm baaaaaaaack!!!!**

**vaaaalxxbaabyxx33: greeeeeeeeeaaatttt *sarcasm sarcasm***

**me: when did u get here?**

**vaaaalxxbaabyxx33: I've been here now can i say the disclaimer please??**

**me: *sighs* fine**

**vaaaalxxbaabyxx33: Yay! Disclaimer: HealingSpringWaters does not own fanfiction in any way shape or from!! Enjoy the story**

**me: *sticks tongue at her* wat she said  
**

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Chapter 7

**(EPOV)**

"The visitors are Jasper and Rosalie Hale. They are twins and very close friends of Bella. They come from a rich family who know Charlie very well," Mora said.

I had no idea who these Hale twins were, but if they were Bella's friends then I'm sure they are good people.

We spent the next few days preparing for their arrival. Food arrived and was cooked. Decorations were hung. The whole house was cleaned. Emmett and I were a few of the lucky slaves. We were excused from field work. Our chores were strictly inside the house: moving furniture, rearranging vases, etc. etc. I never saw Bella which led me to believe that she was in the stables.

Finally came the day that they were arriving. Emmett and I were assigned luggage duty. Basically, we had to take the Hale twins' luggage to their rooms. Bella would be waiting to greet them inside the house so I loved this job.

The carriage pulled up to the gate. It was almost the size of our cabin and it was pulled by two magnificent white horses. Then the door swung open and Emmett said "Whoa." Out stepped literally the most beautiful woman in the world. She had blonde flowing hair, beautiful eyes, perfect body, and a faultless smile. I assumed this was Rosalie.

I mentally slapped myself. I loved Bella! Then I took a second look. Her outside was beautiful, but she had a kind of stuck up attitude that surrounded her like an aura.

Emmett, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of her. He stared at her, drinking her up. I think he was going into shock. Just when I thought that I should elbow him, he spoke up.

"May I take your bags miss?"

"Sure," she flashed him a flawless smile.

He held out his hand to help her get down from the carriage. She took it and he pulled her down and set her on her feet gently.

She looked him up and down quickly and her eyes softened. Then a boy, about my age, came out of the carriage. He was tall and blonde like his sister and he reminded me of some of the business men I've met before, except, of course, he was younger. I knew I was looking at Jasper Hale, Rosalie's twin.

"Miss Rosalie," a high, soprano voice called from inside the carriage. "Do you want me to stay with the maids?"

I looked curiously trying to see who else was in the carriage.

A small, pixie-like girl stood in the cart. She was petite and had short, spiky hair. I had no idea who this was.

"Of course not Alice," So her name was Alice. "You'll be staying with me."

Then Rosalie turned to me. "This is Alice. She's my personal attendant. I couldn't leave her at home. I hope your master won't mind."

"He won't." I answered. So this Alice person was like Rosalie's personal maid.

Just as Alice attempted to get out of the carriage, a jump far too high for someone her height, her foot caught in the doorway and she fell. Jasper moved like lightning. Grabbing her as she fell, much like the way I caught Bella when I first met her. The only difference was that Jasper seemed more comfortable. His hold lingered on her and there was no one barking at him to let her go. I had a feeling that they were closer than a nobleman and a slave should be. Rosalie didn't seem to mind. She must be used to it.

Finally, Emmett and I grabbed their luggage, though I must say Rosalie had the most, and we led them inside. Bella greeted them by the grand stairway. They exchanged a few words then led the way upstairs to her room; Emmett saying by Rosalie's side the whole way, talking to her. Jasper followed with Alice close to his side. It might've been my imagination, but it looked like they were barely holding hands.

They would be staying in one of the many guest rooms. We stopped in Jasper's room first and dropped off his luggage. The room was about the size of our cabin with a splendid view of the forest. He told us that he would unpack later, which, to me, seemed a little odd. Usually, the servants or slaves unpacked for the guests.

Then we continued to Rosalie's and Alice's room. It was slightly bigger than Jasper's with two beds and a sitting area with couches and chairs. A vanity stood by the window. It had the same view as Jasper's room, too. An enormous wardrobe was placed by a massive mirror. I had a feeling that Rosalie had stayed here before.

She told us to put her suitcases by the bed. Again, she would unpack herself. Emmett and I shared a look. This was unnatural behavior for a noble. Bella walked over to the door and closed it. Then she and the Hale twins sat down in a chair or couch. Alice, Emmett, and I remained standing, feeling very awkward.

"Sit," Rosalie commanded.

We sat down next to each other on one of the couches. Jasper stared at Alice so intensely, she blushed crimson.

"Well we haven't seen each other for a while, let's talk," Rosalie said.

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**I hope everyone liked it. It's not as long as it usually is but i didn't really no wat i was gonna write. Don't worry i know wat i'm gonna write for the next chapter. It's just gonna be a conversation. Don't freak out. Oh and all u people who thought it was gonna be Jacob. HAHA UR WRONG!! I'm sorry that was mean, true but mean. Jacob's not that important to me that he gets to be here without a good reason. Sorry Jacob lovers. Please Review. Review Review REVIEW!!! They make me so happy. Cause wouldn't it be just terrible if i got no comments and, out of sadness and depression, i were to stop writing? Wait y r u still reading this? All u have to do is press the big button. Come on do it do it DO IT ALREADY!!! **


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone, i made this one a lot longer then my last one. I also want apologize for that last one i know it was really short. This is better though, longer with a good side story. I hope you like it  
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight there short sweet and to the point.**

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Chapter 8

**(EPOV)**

We three slaves sat there feeling very awkward. I dare you to be a slave all your life, then have to sit and listen to your masters' daughters and son talk to you and treat you like a person and not feel awkward. Like I said it was weird. The weirdest part is that Rosalie's gaze kept shifting from me to Emmett. Except when she looked at Emmett it was a soft look, when she looked at me it was like she was analyzing me. Needless to say I was confused.

"So," Bella started, "how have you all been?"

"Cut it out Bella and get to the point," Rosalie snapped. "Is this the slave you told me about in your letters?"

"Yeah," she answered.

I couldn't help it. "What are you talking about?" I blurted out.

"Well," Rosalie began, "Bella, Jasper and I have been friends for a long time. As soon as she told me that she thought she found someone that she liked we hurried over as fast as we could. Bella has never lo… liked anyone before."

Bella was red. I probably was, too. My head was spinning. I could tell that Rosalie had purposely avoided the word love, but the fact that she had almost said it made my heart flutter.

"What about Alice?" Bella asked deliberately changing the subjects, "What's her connection with you guys?"

This time Jasper blushed which cause Bella to raise her eyebrows; I guess that he didn't do that often.

"Go ahead Jasper. It's your story," Rosalie encouraged.

"Well…umm…" Jasper was clearly uncomfortable being the center of attention.

"He saved me," Alice blurted out.

Everyone looked at her. She flushed with embarrassment. I didn't blame her; slaves are not used to direct attention. She gulped.

"He…um…well…" Poor Alice, she couldn't get her thoughts straight. She looked at Jasper for help. He sat forward.

**(JPOV)**

I didn't particularly like to tell this story. Ever since I fell in love with Alice the possibility of it happening to her again down right scared me. It was the source of my nightmares. It was the reason why I almost never let Alice leave my eyesight. I couldn't risk it happening again. I always got giddy when we were apart. Even now, with her sitting only a few feet in front of me I was still tense; just in case. It might seem foolish but, after all, you never know when someone will try to take your loved one away. I knew that from experience; as did Rose and Bella. But I guess they would want to know.

"Okay," I said, "it went like this…"

_(Flashback)_

_It was a cold night. I was taking a long walk. I needed to get away from Rose and her newest boyfriend. I hated how she always had someone and I had no one. Call me jealous, but right now I just wanted to sort out my emotions. That's when I heard a commotion coming from an alley. _

"_What are we going to do? The little eavesdropper heard everything," I heard a man say. _

_I should have walked away, but looking back on it staying was the best decision of my life. I crept closer to the alleyway to listen._

"_Well kill her, then. This way she won't tell anyone," a second male voice said._

"_But it seems like such a waste," the first man purred. _

"_Fine!" exclaimed the second man, "do whatever you want, then kill her!"_

_I made a split second decision and hide just as someone emerged from the alley and continued down the road. I peered into the dark space. A girl was struggling to break free from the man's hold. He laughed and threw her up against a wall. Then he leaned in and stroked her face. When he came to her lips she bit him as hard as she could._

"_Oww!" he yelled, "You little bitch." He slapped her across the face so hard her head snapped to the side. She fell down. When he stood over her I couldn't take it anymore._

"_Hey!" I yelled stepping into his view, "leave her alone."_

_He sneered, "And who's gonna make me, you?" With each word he walked closer._

"_Just leave," the girl yelled from the floor. She was trying to get up. "It's my problem, no need to get you mixed up in this mess."_

_WHAM! I didn't even see the punch coming until it hit me. While the girl was talking the man had taken advantage of my distraction. I landed on the floor. He stood over me and was about hit me when I punched him as hard as I could right in the jaw. It shattered on impact. He screamed curses and clutched it. Quickly, I sweep kicked him and knocked his feet out from under him. He fell to the floor as I rose to my feet. He looked up at me with hatred in his eyes, but even a thug like him knew when he had lost. He scrambled up from the ground and launched himself down the street before I could say another word. A faint whimper from the corner reminded me why I got mixed up in this. _

_I ran over to the girl. She was hurt badly. She had an enormous gash on the side of her that was gushing blood. She was badly bruised and unnaturally pale. And, on top of everything else, she was running a high fever. But aside from the injuries I noticed something else. She was beautiful. She was petite and had short, spikey hair. The moonlight made her look incredibly fragile and unreal, but after seeing her bite that man despite the fear that he would kill her, I knew she was just the opposite. When I looked back into her eyes she looked terrified. They were fluttering because she was about to pass out from loss of blood._

"_What's your name?" I whispered gently._

"_Alice," came her soft reply._

"_Well Alice, I'm Jasper. You can rest now I'm going to help you," I explained._

_She shook her head vigorously, and then groaned in pain._

_I understood her fear. "I won't let those men hurt you, I promise."_

_She looked at me closely and then decided to trust me. Alice muttered a faint "Okay," and closed her eyes._

_I picked her up bridal style and carried her home. The whole time I kept looking over my shoulder, trying to make sure that those men were really gone. When I finally got home I burst through the door and told the nearest maid that I needed a doctor immediately. She took one look at Alice and ran off. I took her up to my room and laid her on my bed. Rose burst through the door and demanded to know what happened. I told her what happened. There are no keeping secrets from Rose. We talked while we waited for the doctor. I kept a rag to Alice's head the whole time, trying to stop the bleeding. Finally, the doctor arrived and shoed me out of the room; Rose got to stay because she's girl._

"Healing her didn't take long, but she was out for three days. When she finally woke up, well, we haven't been apart since," I finished.

"Aww, that's so sweet," Bella said. I smiled and looked at Alice who returned it.

There was a knock at the door which made all of us jump. Alice, Emmett, and I jumped out of our chairs. The door opened and a maid walked in. She looked at us, and then shook her head.

"Umm, it's time for dinner," she explained.

"Thank you," Bella said. "They were helping us unpack. Tell my father that we will be down there as soon as we get ready."

"Of course," she said. Then, with a curtsey, she exited.

"Well Emmett and I better get going. Riley, Adam, and Mora will get worried if we don't show up," Edward said, standing up.

Emmett stood up with them and they left after saying good-bye. Rose smiled at Emmett as he left. Bella got up then and followed, saying that she had to get ready for dinner. When it was just me, Rose, and Alice I looked Rose right in the eye and said, "You like him."

She stuck out her tongue at me, something she hadn't done since she was four, and I knew I was right. _This is going to be a good trip, _I thought as I went to my room to get changed as well.

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**So wat'd ya think. I'm asking for more reviews please. I don't care if you reviewed another chapter it's not that hard to take the time to review this one. It might be a little while before i update the next chapter cause i made the basketball team and we have practice everyday except fridays. I'll be getting home round 5:30 and ill have homework to do but ill still devote every free second to this story. If i dont update in a month then you have my permition to angrily p.m. me to get me to hurry up. Oh and sorry for the one curse word. I wasn't sure if anyone had a problem with it sorry if you do. Bye for know talk to you again hopefully soon**


	10. Chapter 9

**hey hey everybody! hows it going? Alright ive been off for a looooooooooooong time so ive got a deal for you. During my...er...absence i have been working very very hard on this chapter. But in turn for giving you this super long chapter i want everyone that reads it to review. Even if it's only "Great story" or "Keep writing" though i will very much appreciate it if you guys are more creative. Trust me i'll know. I know many things. Anyway, i've kept you guys from reading this chapter long enough. Enjoy!!!!  
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Honestly people if i did i would be watching a copy of the movie right now.**

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Chapter 9

**(EPOV)**

The days went by and life seemed to be peaceful. The Hale twins were having a good time. Jasper and Alice were nearly inseparable, but Rosalie stayed close so that it wouldn't seem too suspicious. But even when Rose wasn't anywhere in sight we knew where she was.

She and Emmett spent every minute of his free time with together. I could only smile at the bond forming between those two. Her eyes never left his and he did everything to make her smile, keep her happy. She seemed to love his childish antics. He loved her laugh. When they were apart he talked of nothing else. It broke my heart to know that, unlike Bella and my relationship, there's wouldn't last once she left. Also, she had an eye for anything and everything expensive. Sometimes I wondered how he would buy her gifts. But then I thought that maybe Rose didn't need all the expensive stuff, maybe, just maybe, all she really needed was him. I thought that their relationship was moving a little fast, but it didn't seem to matter to them.

Bella and I were doing okay. We tried to be together as often as possible, but it was difficult. My schedule kept me very busy. My favorite time of the day was stable duty. I always saved it for last. I did it alone so Bella and I could talk however long we wanted. I began learning more and more about her. Her favorite gemstone was topaz. Her favorite color changed daily. She preferred her simple satin dresses over the ones in trend now. She missed her mother and thought about her daily. At this tears came into her eyes. It happened when ever Renee was mentioned. I always pulled her as close to me as physically possible and waited until she was fine. After that we went on with our conversation.

She asked me many questions. What was my father like? What was my mother like? If I could choose would I get a sister or a brother? Younger or older? Did I miss my home in London? Did I wish for a different life? I answered them all immediately without much thought, all but that last one. Did I wish for a different life? I thought carefully. I weighed each scenario. Then finally I spoke my answer.

"I would have left things the way they are."

"Why?" she questioned. "Don't you wish you could change the fate of your parents? Don't you wish you weren't a slave?"

"Of course I do. I wish I could change a lot of things. That doesn't mean I _would_ change it. Everything that's happened to me made me stronger. It shaped me into what I am. The whippings were painful, but the skin is mostly healed now and it's stronger now. Just like me. Besides," I put my hand to her cheek and she leaned into it. "I wouldn't have met you."

Then she flung herself into my arms. I just wanted to stand there holding her, never letting her go, so I did. After all, I had finished all my work. We just stood there, holding onto each other, with only the horses as witnesses.

Or so we thought.

Finally, when it was time for dinner I let her go. I wanted to kiss her there and then, but I wanted our first kiss to be special, not because I was acting like some animal, unable to help myself. Instead, I limited myself to kissing her cheek. When I turned to walk away I thought I heard rustling, but after looking around I decided that it was nothing, a field mouse, perhaps.

I walked away, happier then when I came. Meeting with her was always the highlight of my day. As the sun faded I sighed happily. I headed back to the cabin to quickly wash up and change for dinner. I still had some time. _I could live like this, _I thought. This seemed like a happy life, one that I was content with living.

Too bad it wouldn't last.

I entered to house in a daze and floated to dinner. I sat down and ate without looking at what I was eating. This was becoming routine. I was always like this after talking with Bella. This time, however, I glanced over at Mike Newton and thought about how he tried to win Bella's heart and was brutally beaten. I shuddered at the thought of Bella and me getting caught. What I did notice when I looked at him, besides him wincing when he straightened his back, was that he looked smug. I had no idea what made him so happy. Suddenly, I felt sick, like something bad was going to happen. I felt worse when he looked at me and his smile got wider. That's when it happened. A few guards suddenly materialized by our table.

One put their hand on my shoulder. "The master wants to see you immediately."

Adam stood up. "Why? What did Edward do wrong?"

"We do not know why the most noble master wishes to see a worthless slave, we just follow orders," he smiled. "Follow please."

I had no choice. I stood up and followed. I took a last look at my friends. Adam looked very angry. Riley and Mora looked worried. Emmett looked scared, no terrified. I saw in his eyes that he thought this was about Bella. Now that I thought about it… I quickly looked over at Mike Newton. He looked like he was about to burst with glee. Then it hit me. Mike had been hiding in the stables. It was him that I heard. He saw everything and then he reported back to Charlie. _Uh oh, _I thought, _this is not going to be good._

The guards led me into what I assumed was the basement. Well, it looked more like a dungeon. _What is with the rich nobles having dungeons in their basements?_ I wondered. I couldn't really ponder that question because one of the guards pushed me into the center of the room. Charlie melted from the shadows and he was fuming. I could almost see the steam rising off of him.

"I gave you a home," he snarled, "food, clothes, a job, and how do you repay me? By trying to steal my daughter's heart! It's an outrage! My daughter will not marry a mere slave. She will not be allowed near you. And you will not be allowed near her! There is only one punishment painful enough for this offense!" His eyes blazed with fury.

One of the guards brought forward a whip. Yeah, I was right this was going to be bad, very, very bad. The guards were smug.

"You know," Charlie said, "They say fifty lashes will kill a man. So I'll spare you that last one." He turned to the guards. "Hold him up and deliver forty-nine lashes unto him." The guards smiled evilly.

They tore off my shirt and two of them grabbed my by arms. The third lifted the whip.

_Crack_. The pain was unbelievable. It had been a long time since I'd been whipped and my almost healed scars and wounds burst open. I cried out in agony. Again and again the whip cracked against my back making me bleed; deepening the wounds. My blood was all over the floor and more was flowing by the second. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two. I cried each time. The pain was unbearable. I couldn't breathe, my vision was hazy. I heard the guards counting. Thirty-nine, forty, forty-one, forty-two. It was almost over and I was almost unconscious. Finally, after what seemed like forever the guard stopped and put down the whip. I was gasping for breath. If the other two guards weren't supporting me I would have collapsed.

"Get him out of here. I hope he's learned his lesson," came Charlie's growl.

Then I was picked up and carried out a back way so I wouldn't get blood all over the house. What happened next was kind of hazy and unclear. I remember them carrying me up the steps then throwing me outside in the dirt and leaving me there. A while later Adam and Riley appeared and carried me back to the cabin. I had no idea how they found me, but I was grateful. They plopped me on Adam's bed and I was reminded of the time we found Ben in the same condition.

Emmett was beside himself with fury and Mora was hectic because the cuts were too deep for her to heal and she didn't have the right salves. After that the door opened and suddenly Bella, Alice, and Rosalie were there. Adam was yelling at Bella, who burst out crying. She rushed past him and came straight to me. She stood there in shock and the tears kept coming.

"Edward oh Edward I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot." I couldn't fathom why she was crying; angels shouldn't cry. I wanted to tell her that I was alright, but I had no strength.

"You should be sorry," Adam screamed, "Because of you Edward could have been killed. It's all your fault."

Bella kept sobbing. She grabbed my hand. I wanted so badly to get up and wipe away her tears. I wanted to tell Adam that it wasn't Bella's fault. I'm the idiot. He warned _me_ to stay away from her, not the other way around. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to regret being with Bella, not as long as she wasn't the one getting hit. But of course I was in no condition to be moving, much less sitting up. So instead I squeezed her hand. After that my eyes were losing focus. The last thing I heard before I passed out was Bella's crying and I felt terrible about leaving her like this. The last thought that crossed my mind was how beautiful Bella looked in that blue silk dress. Then I let the darkness consume me and slowly the pain faded.

**(BPOV)**

I rushed back to my room and shut the door to prepare for dinner. I looked through my wardrobe without really looking until my hand touched smooth silk. I smiled; it was my mother's favorite blue, silk dress. She wore it the night she met Phil. A knock sounded at my door and then Rosalie walked in.

"Bella can I talk to you?" she asked quietly. Immediately she had my full attention. Rose was never quiet.

"Yeah. What's on your mind?"

"It's about Emmett…" she trailed off. I smiled at her knowingly.

"He's a nice guy isn't he?" I said.

"I think I might love him, but I don't know. I mean I've dated a lot of guys, but I've never felt this way about any of them before. I don't ever want to leave him and yet, we're leaving in a week or two." She sat down on my bed and put her head in her hands.

I sat down next to her. "Well," I started, "I guess it's hard to tell. I mean when I first met Edward I felt like I had a connection with him. When I fell off the stairs and he caught me I felt a jolt of electricity run through me. The more I talked to him the more I grew to like him. Then one day I realized that I loved him."

Suddenly she grabbed my arm in a motion so quick I almost didn't see it. "You mean whenever you touch Edward you feel an electric shock?"

I nodded my head.

"I feel that, too. Whenever Emmett hugs me I feel the same electric current. It must be love. I do love him."

She sounded so happy. I was very happy for her. We celebrated briefly then returned to our rooms to finish getting ready for dinner.

When we met downstairs Rose looked different, happier. Her eyes were brighter, there was a smile on her face, and she just seemed to glow with joy. I was so glad she found her true love. I knew Emmett felt the same way from what I've heard from Edward. I looked over at Jasper, who had found his love a while ago. Alice was in the middle of them both, but closer to Jasper I noticed. His head was turned to me, but his eyes never left her. I sighed. There was so much love in the air. Together we walked to dinner. Alice was chatting animatedly with Rose about fashion. She would talk to me sometimes though not as much. That was fine with me, after all I barely knew her.

We took our seats once we got to the dinning room. I sat on Charlie's right. Jasper sat across from me on Charlie's left. Rose was next to Jasper and Alice next to Rose. I almost laughed when I saw Jasper frown a little at the seating. He did it every night and morning when we sat down to eat. He always had to be as close to Alice as possible. I saw Charlie look at Alice and frown as well. The first time he did this I was scared and understood why Jasper was always glued to Alice's side. That is, until after dinner when I learned what had been bothering him.

"_Why does that slave sit at our table?" he demanded when the others had left._

"_She's Rosalie's personal assistant and goes everywhere Rose goes. Besides you wouldn't to insult the Hales by telling them that Alice can't eat with us. Am I right?" I replied sweetly._

"_So she has a name." he grumbled and I knew I had won this argument. _

Dinner was quick and delicious. It was a nice, peaceful dinner. That is until Mike Newton appeared half way into the meal. He whispered something in Charlie's ear. I turned my head childishly. He was too close to me and I felt very uncomfortable. I looked and saw that the Hale twins and Alice had stopped eating and were watching Mike intensely. They all knew the story. Charlie's eyes widened at something Mike had said. He looked at him as if to confirm what he had heard. Mike nodded his head and Charlie said, "Alright I'll go deal with it." Then he rose and walked off to deal with whatever was wrong.

Mike muttered a thank you and "accidentally" brushed by the back of my neck as he walked away. I froze and saw Alice's eyes narrow in anger. Mike just smiled and winked at her which caused Jasper to growl and clench his fork. If Mike noticed he didn't let on. He just returned to dinner.

As soon as the room was empty, except for us Jasper jumped out of his chair and sped to Alice's. She clenched his hand and muttered "I'm fine." I heard Jasper muttering death threats under his breath. It sounded something like "That stupid, disgusting pig. I'll rip his throat out and feed it to the dogs."

As we cleared out of the dining room my mind started working and I wondered what Mike had had to say. We went to one of the sitting rooms. Since we were alone Jasper pulled Alice into his lap and hugged her. She kissed his cheek as a reward. Jasper glowed with happiness. Then Rosalie voiced my unasked question.

"What do you think Newton wanted?" she asked.

I shrugged. We spent a while just staring off into space. Jasper was whispering in Alice's ear, making her giggle. Finally, I heard Charlie coming up the stairs. I excused myself and told them that I wanted to see what Mike had talked to him about. I walked out the door and down the hall to the stairs. Charlie climbs the stairs like an elephant so I was able to hear him before he had reached the second floor.

"What did you have to sort out dad?" I asked sweetly.

His eyes narrowed at me. "I was told that a certain slave was getting to comfortable talking to us rich folk."

I froze, my blood turned cold. He had either found out about Emmett or he was talking about Edward. I prayed it wasn't the latter of the two. "What slave? What are you talking about?"

"Bella, you've been tricked and deluded. He just wants you for your money. It's not love. Don't worry I took care of him. He won't bother you anymore and I don't want you anywhere near him. He has nothing to give you"

If my blood had been frozen before it was colder than Arctic ice now. "No," I whispered. "What did you do to Edward?" I screeched.

""I just gave him a taste of what happens when slaves try to win over a noble's heart," was his reply. "Good night Bella." And with that he continued up the next flight of stairs to his bedroom.

I couldn't speak. I ran back to the sitting room.

"He whipped Edward!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. "He made it hurt, I know he did. Edwards probably badly injured. Charlie wouldn't be gentle." And then I just collapsed and broke down sobbing. If Jasper hadn't grabbed me I would've hit the floor. He passed me to Alice and Rose who held onto me as I bawled. Then Alice looked up.

"I can help him," she said.

I clutched her arm like it was a lifeline. "Please do whatever you can to help save him."

She jumped up and ran out of the room returning only a few seconds later with her arms full of medical supplies. "Let's go."

I stood up and was surprised when Rose and Jasper rose also.

"I have some training with medicine. Alice taught me," Rose said. I nodded signaling that she could come.

"Jasper please stay here. No one's going to hurt me," Alice told Jasper.

"But…" he protested.

"No buts. Stay here. We're wasting time," Alice snapped.

Jasper sat back down, eyebrows raised, but otherwise said nothing. I guessed that Alice didn't give him orders a lot.

We snuck through the dark, silent as mice. We became one with the earth, slipping along like shadows. Finally, we arrived at Edward's cabin. I realized that tears were still streaming down my face. Then I opened the door.

The sight of Edward lying there on the bed, bloodied and hurt, sent another wave of agony over me, crushing me.

Adam turned on me. "How dare you show your face here? After what you did!" he roared.

I burst out crying again. Adam continued to yell. I ran right past him; straight to Edward. What I saw shocked me to my core. I couldn't believe it. He was a mess.

"Edward oh Edward I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot," I apologized. I grabbed his hand and looked him in the eyes. Edward squeezed my hand back. Then he passed out. Alice pushed me out of the way. Rose and Mora stood by her side, helping her. The rest of the cabin was glaring at me, all except for Emmett. So I went and sat by him.

"It's okay Bella. He'll be fine. Edward is tough," he comforted me.

After about an hour they were finished. Rose sat herself in Emmett's lap, exhausted. Mora sat by Riley and Alice came over to me. Alice whispered to me that the medicine would knock him out for a few days while the wounds healed up. I nodded then stood and walked over to Edward. I knelt by his side and moved his hair out of his eyes. He looked peaceful asleep. I just knelt there and waited; waited for him to wake up, waited for him to be alright.

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**Phew that was a long chapter. See i wasn't lying around during my absence. So wat'd yall think? Oh i'm soooo sorry i had to do that to Edward. Please forgive me. I feel so bad but it mad sense. I have to say that this is the turning point of the story. It's only going to get better from here. Please as i said before i would absolutely love you forever if you people just review. Please it takes about two seconds. Anyway i love feedback and i need to know what people think it helps me to know whether or not i need to bring up the action and watnot. As always constructive criticism is always welcomed with open arms. Love all of u BYE FOR NOW**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey hows everyone doing? Yes thats right i care about my readers. Anyway originally this chapter was going to have soooooo much more to it but it didn't seem like it would go good. Trust it wouldve been like 20 pages long and the story wouldve been almost done so ive decieded to split it up. Dont worry ive got most of the next chapter written actually i lied ive got the begining done. So anyway i hope you enjoy this one  
Disclaimer: Sadly i dont own Twilight Stephanie Meyer is the lucky duckling here**

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**(BPOV)**

_Three days. He's been out for three days. I'm so scared. What if he doesn't make it? _

I sat there on Adam's bed gently stroking Edward's hair. I had been doing this for the past three days. Adam hated me. He thought it was my fault. He's right of course, but it still hurt knowing that I was the one that caused Edward to be in this situation. Since he went unconscious I've been having nightmares about seeing him how he was. Bloody and hurt. That's when I felt him twitch.

"Edward?" I asked hopefully. Maybe he was finally waking up.

Slowly he opened his eyes. My heart leapt with joy.

"Bella?" he whispered, "How long have I been out?"

"Three days," I answered. He sat up slowly, wincing. My heart wrenched at the sight of it.

"Edward, I'm so sorry-."

"It's okay Bella," he interrupted.

"No it's not. I don't deserve you. I understand if you never want to see me again." Just telling him that it was okay if he didn't love me shattered my heart, but I had to be strong. I didn't want him to get hurt again. I failed at that. Tears started falling out of my eyes. I turned away from him, trying to hold back a sob.

I stood up and walked towards the door. "I don't want you to get hurt," I cried. "I can't live, knowing that you are getting hurt because we're together." Now that my back was to him the tears flowed freely. I had given this a lot of thought.

Edward grabbed my hand, firmly, and spun me around to face him. I couldn't look him in the eye so I stared at my feet. With his other hand he lifted my chin, forcing me to make eye contact with him. He looked confused, sad, hurt, and there was another emotion that I didn't expect to see: anger. I couldn't understand this. Why was he angry?

"You think that I don't want to be with you because Charlie found out?" he said incredulously. "You think that I never want to see you again because I was punished for being with the one I love?"

I looked away and nodded. How could he still love me after what I had done?

"Bella," he said softly, "I could never live without you. You are my life now and I don't ever want to lose you."

I gasped. He still loved me? I looked into his eyes. I had to make sure that this wasn't some kind of cruel, sick joke. His eyes shown with true sincerity. I gave him a sad smile.

"What about Charlie?" I asked quietly.

"Any pain is worth it if that means that I can be with you," he replied.

Gently he pulled me into his arms; his embrace melting away the ice that had previously encased my heart. I never wanted to lose him, but I didn't want to hurt him either. Lightly, he kissed my forehead. That small action sent my heart racing. Then he tilted my chin up and leaned in slowly. My heart started racing, blood pounding in my ears. _Yes, _I thought, _finally. _I stretched up, trying to meet him in the middle. I closed my eyes and… BAM! The door flew open.

"Edward, you're awake!" the little pixie-like girl cried. "I was just coming to check up on you."

I blushed crimson and pulled away as Alice threw her arms around Edward, clearly joyous that he was okay. I put my head down and let my hair fall in front of my face, covering it.

"What's going on in here?" boomed Riley's voice.

"Yeah, get a room!" Emmett called.

"Leave them alone," Mora scolded. Then she turned to Edward. "It's great to see you back on your feet," she said while hugging him.

Adam walked in then and if looks could kill I was very sure that I would've been dead a thousand times over. I shrank back into the corner. His anger frightened me. Then he went over to Edward with everyone else. I hung my head I shame. I knew that he would never forgive me.

"This calls for a celebration. I'll be right back," Alice told us before skipping out the door.

And then I was alone. A noble in a cabin of slaves, one of which hated me. While the others bantered Edward about what had happened I shrank into the shadows, hiding. I sat there forgotten, listening to their conversation. I couldn't blame him, this world that Edward belonged to, I just wasn't meant to be here. I watched them from that corner, wondering where Alice had gone, when I saw Edward look up with a confused expression on his face. While I was lost in my thoughts I didn't notice the group disperse among the cabin. The conversation must've been over.

"Bella?" he called.

I lifted my head. He saw me and walked over.

"Bella, what are you doing over there?" He was clearly confused.

"I was giving you some space," I answered lamely.

"Bella are you okay?" He knew me too well.

He pulled me towards his bed and climbed onto it. I scrambled up after him. When I sat down next to him he pulled me into his lap. His arms crisscrossed around my waist in a protective but comforting way. I closed my eyes and leaned into his chest.

"Now, tell me what's bothering you," he commanded.

"I feel really out of place here, Edward," I confessed. "I'm just not used to being here and I felt a little uncomfortable all alone."

"You're never alone, remember that," Edward told me. "And I guess I can understand your discomfort. It's not easy to be in a circle where you're the only one not in that social class," he sighed. "We're really defying the laws of the social class, you and I. And Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett," he added as an afterthought.

I laughed lightly. Then Alice burst through the door, basket in hand, leading in the Hale twins. Rose's eyes lit up immediately and she made her way over to Emmett. She also had a basket, as did Jasper.

"Alice, what's going on?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. I brought stuff for the party," she answered, reaching into her basket.

"Party?" Edward asked cautiously.

"Party," Alice confirmed. "You're awake and well and we're going to celebrate." As she said this she took out food from the basket.

Rose took out a bed sheet and placed it on the floor. Then she pulled out candles and placed them around the room and lit them. While she did this Jasper set out plates and Alice placed food on top of them.

Soon everyone had settled themselves down and were laughing and eating. Adam, Riley, Mora, and Edward, I noted, had the most. They also looked very thin. I made a mental note to talk to the kitchens about the food they served to the servants.

"Alice, how did you get all this stuff?" I blurted out.

"Oh I told the kitchens, and your dad, that you weren't too well and we wanted to bring you food in case you got hungry," she said simply, waving her hand like it was no big deal.

Sometime later I found myself laying next to Edward and falling asleep. My arm was placed over his chest. I moved closer to him as he began unconsciously stroking my hair. This felt so right, but I knew that it was so wrong. I looked over and saw Rose in Emmett's lap, her head in the crook of his neck, his head resting on top of hers. They looked blissfully happy. Alice was more or less curled up in Jasper's lap. His arms cradled her like she was a baby. He sat very still, holding her close, and watching her sleep. Riley had his arm around Mora and they sat together, in the corner, talking quietly to Adam.

I sighed happily. There was so much love in the air. Then I drifted off to sleep.

************************

"Bella," a voice whispered.

"Five more minutes," I grumbled.

"Bella you have to get up now and get back to the house. It's very late and Charlie isn't going to be happy if he finds us sneaking in."

That jolted me awake. I came face to face with Jasper who was holding a sound asleep Alice bridal-style. With his foot he nudged Rose awake. I looked over and saw that Edward had been awakened as well.

"I'm sorry. I have to go now," I whispered.

He just nodded. I could tell that he was sad to see me go. I promised myself that one day I wouldn't have to leave him. And that I could spend the entire night with him.

Jasper had managed to awaken Alice and get Rose on her feet so the four of us made our way back to the house. Surprisingly, we met no one at all and we were able to sneak into our rooms without disturbing or meeting anyone.

It took me awhile to sleep. It felt weird without Edward there, but eventually sleep did come and I sank into it gratefully. I guess that even before I was told that something was going to happen tomorrow my mind knew and finally allowed me to rest.

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**Well there you go Chapter 10. The real reason i split it up was that i was gone for a while and i felt really bad. I also was grounded from the computer and couldn't figure out how to start it. Anyway i would very much love you guys if u all review. It just makes my day so please please hit the big green button. Oh and ive got a propistion for all of you guys. Alright wat im gonna do is write one more chapter before winter break then not update til next year. but ill be using that time to get ahead in my writing so when the New Year comes around ill have 2-3 chapters written already and ill update faster. So tell me if u think its a good idea through reviewing haha so u have 2 review to state your opinion lets see if i can get 40 or more reviews. Otherwise this is the last chapter of the year. Yes im black mailing you guys. HAHA im so evil. SO REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!! bye for now**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey hows everyone. First of all i wanted to say that im so happy. We've hit the 200 mark on reviews. Thank you all to my loyal reviewers. I love you all! Now, i hope i haven't kept you waiting for too long. Ive been writing this chapter in health class and honestly there's nothing to do in that class. My teacher goes on and on and on and he takes like a five second pause in between every other word. And it's soo boring. So this one is nice and long. A great way to end the year. The funny thing this chapter was written out of bordem and complete desperation to do something else. So that's about it and ill let you read it now. Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: This is the last time i'll say this this year. TWILIGHT IS NOT MINE if it was it wouldn't be a best seller in fact i probably wouldve killed it.**

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Chapter 11

**(BPOV)**

I knew that eventually the Hale twins and Alice would have to leave, but I was very surprised when Charlie broached the subject the next morning.

"So when are you kids planning on going home?" Charlie was never one for subtly.

Rose looked taken aback, but Jasper kept his calm.

"We were thinking in two days," he replied. "We have to pack and load the carriage. It takes a while."

"Why do you ask, father?" I was truly curious.

"Well we are having a new guest arriving today," Charlie said.

We all looked at each other asking the same silent question. Who was it?

Charlie took one look at our faces and answered the unasked question. "He's the son of a man that wants to buy our cotton. The man just started his own business."

"Billy Black," Jasper stated.

"Right you are boy," Charlie nodded.

I raised my eyebrows at Jasper. Rose cocked her head to the side.

"He's doing business with our father, too. He owns a fleece-making company. He uses the wine our dad makes to dye the fleeces," Jasper explained. Charlie nodded in approval. "Though he didn't send his son to make the deal. He sent an ambassador."

Rose and I nodded, but I had to admit it was weird. Why was his son coming this time?

I got my answer later that day. A little after noon there was a knock on the door. We were in the foyer at the time. Mora poked her head in.

"Bella, Black's son is here. Can you greet him while I get Charlie?"

"Sure," I said rising out of my chair. "Excuse me," I said to the others.

Mora led me around the corner to the front door. And there, standing by the grand staircase, was a tall, gangly-looking boy who looked like he had had a recent growth spurt. He skin was deeply tanned and he had long, black hair pulled back into a pony tail at the nape of his neck. Other than that he was dressed richly; similar to what Jasper had worn when he first arrived.

"Excuse me Miss. I'll go get Charlie," Mora said. After she left he turned to me.

"Hello," he greeted, "I'm Jacob Black. You must be Isabella Swan."

"Bella," I corrected while allowing a friendly smile to grace my lips. I held out my hand to shake his.

"Bella," he repeated. Instead of shaking my hand he kissed it. "I have heard rumors of your beauty. They hardly do you justice."

I flushed. "Oh," I said, startled. I heard a cough. When I looked up I saw Edward looking at me. I blushed again and silently begged him to forgive me. Charlie arrived, at that moment, and greeted Jacob Black like he was an old friend. As they began talking I slipped upstairs into one of the sitting rooms.

"What just happened down there?" asked an infuriated Edward. I opened my mouth to answer that I had no idea, but he spoke first. "Just who does he think he is?" I sighed in relief. Edward wasn't mad at me.

"Bella, look at me," Edward said seriously. I happily obliged. "Bella, there's something going on, I can feel it. I want you to stay close to Alice, Rose, and Jasper, okay? I'm going to try to find out more about him." I nodded. Edward's face softened. "Go back to your friends," –his hand brushed against my cheek- "everything will be fine."

After I left I raced back down to the others. I told them what had happened. We decided to move the conversation upstairs. I told them that I would catch up with them and that I had something to do first. As they continued upstairs, I made my way to the kitchens. Once there I looked around at the cooks.

"Bella, how wonderful it is to see you again!" a voice exclaimed.

I turned around and there stood Kaitlyn the head cook. She was a sweet, grandmotherly old woman who had become more like my adopted mother over the years. She was there for me after Renee had died and was the kindest woman on earth. That is why I knew she would help me out. She pulled me into a hug. For a moment I felt like I had my mother back again.

"Kaitlyn, can you do me a favor?" I asked.

"Sure, honey. What is it?"

"Could you feed the servants more, better food? They look very thin," I told her.

"Ah yes. I agree, the poor dears. I'll tell the other cooks, though they won't be too happy about it, what with all the food we have to prepare in a weeks time," she sighed.

"What's in a week?" I asked. Kaitlyn looked surprised.

"Your wedding of course," she squealed.

"My what?" I shouted.

"Your wedding. Everything's already been arranged. We just have to cook the food."

"Who am I marrying?" I asked, outraged.

"Jacob Black, of course. I must say he is such a handsome boy," she gossiped.

The room started spinning. I felt so dizzy.

"Bella? Are you alright?" I heard Kaitlyn call.

"Is she okay?" I heard another, more familiar voice call.

I felt myself falling into a pair of strong arms.

"Bella," I heard a voice whisper in my ear.

"Take her upstairs," Kaitlyn commanded. Then I felt those strong arms lift me up and cradle me like a baby. Then I was moving. I heard a door open and close and I knew that I was upstairs.

"Bella!" I heard a high pitched voice exclaim.

"What's wrong with her?" asked another feminine voice.

"Edward, do you know what happened?" a masculine voice asked.

"No," said Edward, "she just fainted."

"Put her down on the couch. She'll come around," said the boy.

I felt myself being lowered onto the couch. I chose to open my eyes at that moment. When I looked up the first thing I saw was Edward. As I pulled myself into a sitting position he asked, "Bella, are you okay? What happened?"

At first I couldn't remember. Then it hit me. I flung my arms around Edward and cried. Startled, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap. Jasper, Alice, and Rose moved closer as I cried into his shirt.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked, alarmed now.

"I'm… I'm… Oh Edward, I'm getting married!" I managed to cry out in between sobs. He froze. The others were shocked.

"To who?" Edward demanded.

"Jacob Black," I cried. I felt his arms tighten, protectively, around me.

"When?" Jasper asked.

"In a week." I had started to calm down, but I was still shaking.

"What are we going to do?" asked Edward.

"This is brilliant," said Jasper. We all looked at him. "I'll tell you what we're going to do. We are going to runaway."

"We?" I hiccupped.

"We, as in the six of us."

"Six?" Edward echoed.

"You, Bella, Rose, Emmett, Alice, and I. Last time I checked we made six," Jasper said.

"No way," Edward objected. "We can't ask you guys to leave your lives behind. Bella and I will leave, but you don't have to, too. I mean if that's what you want Bella?" he asked me.

"Of course," I said firmly.

Then it's settled. Bella and I will leave," Edward said.

"No," Jasper refused. "I've waited so long to get out of this life with Alice. I never did it because of Rose. Now she has found someone that, like me and Alice, they can't be together unless they are free. It's the perfect opportunity."

"What has your parents ever done that made you want to leave them?" I couldn't stop myself from asking. I noticed Alice look away.

"They, hit Alice," Jasper said slowly. "Not whip, but hard enough so that she gets several bruises. I can't do anything because it will reveal our secret. I feel so powerless when Alice comes to me with hand-sized black and blues. I feel like I've failed her and that I'm unable to protect her."

That explains why he always hovers by her and acts like he's going to have to protect her at any moment. "Then you'll come, too," I said.

Jasper nodded, "Now here's my plan…" Just then the dinner bell rang. Edward hesitated.

"Go Edward. I'll be fine. It'll seem suspicious. Just ask Kaitlyn to send up some food. We'll eat here," I said before Edward could protest.

He nodded, stood, and left. About ten seconds later I wish I hadn't told him to leave. I was still pretty shaken about the news. We sat there a long time, conversing. When dinner was sent I tried to look weak, like I was still recovering. It must've worked because the girl sent me a sympathetic look.

By ten o'clock we had the plan all figured out. After a lot of quiet arguing between Alive and Jasper he agreed to let her go tell Edward and Emmett. Then we all retired to our rooms to sleep. I lay there for a long time, thinking about everything that had happened. I kept going over the plan. There was an old abandon church on the outskirts of Jamestown. Emmett was going to leave tomorrow night and go there. He was going to use some money that we gave him to purchase items to make it fit for living. He would also take a small suitcase of my dresses and some other items because I would have to use any opportunity to escape. Jasper, Alice, and Rose were leaving in two days. Their journey home would be two days so on the first night they would ditch their driver and take a carriage to Jamestown then walk to the church. Edward and I had the hardest part: we had to escape before my wedding in a week. Jasper's plans never failed, but still it was hard to hope when it seemed hopeless.

I woke up early the next morning. _Six days until my wedding,_ I thought grimly. To pass time I started packing my bag. I packed all of my satin dresses except my emerald green dress. Charlie would suspect something if I started wearing only my big, thick, puffy dresses. After I had finished I had five dresses: pale pink, silver, midnight blue, violet, and turquoise; two nightgowns: pink and white; and most of my under garments. I knew Rose and Alice wouldn't be taking too many either. Then I packed other necessities and closed it. I would ask Mora to give it to Emmett later.

I looked outside my window. The sun was barely over the horizon. I listened to the rest of the house. All I could hear were the cooks bustling about in the kitchen preparing breakfast. I chose a dress and put it on with some difficulty. It wasn't as puffy as some of my dresses, but it was still uncomfortable and hard to get on. Then I passed time by brushing my hair. Finally, I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in," I called.

"Hello Bella," Mora said sadly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There was a big fight last night," she shook her head.

"What? What happened?" I begged for more information.

"Adam and Edward got into a fight. Over you," she said. "Adam is convinced that you two will get caught. He doesn't want to see Edward hurt again-."

"Neither do I," I cut in.

"Of course you don't," she said, her eyes softening. "You love him. I would be thinking the same thing if it were Riley. Anyway, Adam said that you weren't worth it and Edward told him that he'd rather be imprisoned and with you than free without you." I looked down in shame. I felt Mora put her over mine. "He really loves you, you know."

"I'm not worth it," I said.

"To him you are." I nodded, still feeling very down. "I'll take your bag to Emmett. The others will be waking up soon." I nodded again and gave her my bag. She picked it up and paused at the doorway. "By the way, dinner was great last night. I've never been that full before." Then she disappeared. I smiled. So Kaitlyn came through, I knew she would.

I sat there for a little while longer until Rose and Alice came in followed closely by Jasper.

"Hey Bella," Alice said cheerfully. "Are you ready for today?"

I gave her a questioning look.

"You're getting fitted for your wedding dress," Rose explained.

"Why am I always the last to know these things?" I asked nobody.

Alice shrugged.

"Shall we go eat breakfast?" Jasper intervened. He held out his arm for Alice. She giggled and took it. Rosalie rolled her eyes behind her brother's back.

To prevent Jacob from sitting next to me Rose sat on my left and Alice sat on her left. Jasper sat across the table from Rose and Jacob sat in between him and Charlie, across from me. He smiled at me when I sat down. I stared at my plate. I saw Rosalie glare at him out of the corner of my eyes.

Breakfast was short and quick, thankfully. Jacob wouldn't take his eyes off me and I wouldn't take my eyes off my food. When we finished Rosalie, Alice, and I went upstairs to get my wedding dress fixed. Jasper got sucked into a business conversation with Jacob and Charlie. A few minutes later one of the higher head maids came in with a box. When she opened it Alice and Rose gasped in unison. It was beautiful. It was white, of course, with white sequence arranged in a flower pattern on the chest. It had spaghetti straps and flowed from the waist to the floor. A train flowed out behind it. Flowers were embroidered along the hem. **(picture on profile please check it out) **Somehow they got me into it and slipped on white high heels. Following the maid's instruction, Alice put a pearl necklace on me **(also on profile) **and did my hair up in a messy bun, leaving my bangs down to frame my face. I turned to look in the mirror and gasped at the person looking back at me. It couldn't have been me, this stranger looked beautiful.

"Mora said that you needed pins," said a voice at the door.

"Yes," said the maid without looking up.

I turned around and, sure enough, Edward was standing in the door. His jaw dropped when he saw me which made me flush crimson.

"You look beautiful Miss Bella, if it's not too bold to say," Edward said. Alice and Rosalie smiled knowingly. The maid nodded.

"Thank you," I smiled. His answering smile was dazzling. I forgot how breathe. I heard a cough. I looked and saw Charlie, Jacob, and Jasper.

"Bella, dear you look astounding," Charlie said. Jacob just stared. Jasper shook his head.

"Umm, thanks?" it sounded like a question.

"She'll be quite a site walking down the aisle," the maid agreed. I looked down. I didn't want to think about my wedding right now. I saw Jasper make a face behind Charlie's back. I couldn't stop the giggle that burst from my mouth. Alice gave Rose a wry smile. There were only five people in this room that knew that I wouldn't be attending my wedding. I allowed that thought to fill me up as I took one more look in the mirror. I would wear this dress again when I could walk down the aisle and see Edward standing at the alter.

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**Ok so that's it. The last chapter off 2008. And sadly i'm going to miss updating. It's a lot of fun and it makes my day when people review. Don't worry when i come back i'll have more chapters. This story is starting to wrap up im thinking about 4 or 5 more chapters left. I'll make them long. Well i greatly encourage all of my readers to review and please check out those pictures on my profile. They'll be up there forever so please look at them. The links are right after the things that annoy the hell out of me. It's all nice and organized so you cant miss it. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW don't you want me to be happy when i start updating in January? Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year may it bring you all the new hope and happiness that i wish for. It's a great time for new beginnings so do something that you never thought you would! Bye again I'll miss you see you next year!  
~HealingSpringWaters**


	13. Chapter 12

**Happy New Year everyone!! I hope all of your hopes an dreams for the new year come true. So anyway i worked very hard on this because i wanted to make a big entrance. I think that you'll love this chapter. It's not that bad but i know some people get real offended. SO please please don't kill me Jacob addicts. So why am i still talking. You guys have been waiting so long for this chapter. So hear you go. ENJOY!  
Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine. I WISH I WISH I WISH**

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Chapter 12

**(EPOV)**

I couldn't believe this! _How dare that Jacob Black try and marry MY Bella!_ I raged. I've never felt more infuriated. She was too good for him. She deserved better. _Oh yeah? And what do you have to offer?_ A pessimistic voice said inside my head. _Shut up,_ I told it. Not wanting to argue with myself anymore I glanced over at the empty bunk for the gazillionth time. Emmett had left last night. Nobody reported it and Mora had cleverly distributed his chores to everyone else without their noticing. So far the plan was going good. Emmett had taken a few pouches full of gold and was, hopefully, making his way to Jamestown right now. I closed my eyes, remembering last night.

"_So you're leaving soon, huh?" I asked while watching him gather his few belongings and Bella's small suitcase. _

"_Yeah, as soon as Alice comes," he replied._

_A knock sounded at the door._

"_Come in," we yelled at the same time. The door opened and Alice danced through it. Her face was red, the way it was whenever she finished an argument._

"_Jasper didn't want you to come," I speculated._

_She nodded. "He always thinks that I'm going to get hurt or he'll have to protect me. Well I'm not that fragile. I don't break that easily."_

_I had to bite my tongue to stop from laughing. Coming from a tiny pixie-of-a-girl it sounded hilarious. She was correct, however. As small as she was, Alice was just as tough as Emmett._

"_Here you go, Emmett," Alice said, breaking my thoughts as she handed over not one but four pouches of gold. Emmett raised his eyebrows so Alice said, "One from Jasper, one from Rosalie, and two from Bella. They want the place to be nice and cozy." Emmett nodded, took the gold, and stuffed it down his shirt. Then he turned to me._

"_Well man, I guess this is good-bye, for now." We shook hands. "Take care of Bella. Get yourselves there safely." I nodded. Then he turned to Alice._

"_See you soon, Alice." He bear-hugged her. "You tell Jasper, he better get my Rosalie to the church unharmed. Watch over yourself."_

"_I will," she promised as she hugged back._

"_Well, good-bye." Then he turned around and walked out the door. He hesitated for a moment more then sprinted off into the woods._

"_I'm really going to miss him," Alice sniffled. _

_I put my arm around her shoulders to comfort her. "It's okay. You'll see him soon," I assured her. "Why don't you go back to Jasper?" I suggested._

"_Okay," she said sadly. She dabbed at her eyes and left, too. And I was left alone with my thoughts; my thoughts of my future with Bella._

"Edward?" Mora called from the door. "Can you help Riley load the Hale twins' luggage into their carriage?"

"Sure," I said, following her out the door.

Riley and I loaded the carriage then stood back to watch the good-byes. Rosalie and Alice hugged Bella. Jasper kissed her hand, causing her to giggle. Jacob was standing a little behind Bella. His eyes flashed at this polite gesture. My anger flared. Jasper, who has been Bella's friend for years, isn't allowed to kiss her hand, but Jacob, a complete stranger to her, is not only allowed to do that but is also allowed to claim her as his fiancée? It made no sense. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. We would be gone in a few days. It wasn't a big deal.

Rosalie looked over at me and Riley and smiled. Riley winked and she giggled. Then Jasper, a true gentleman, turned and helped his sister into the carriage. After she was in he lifted Alice in. I really hoped no one noticed how his hands lingered on her hips. Next, he climbed in and the stagecoach closed the door. Rosalie and Alice sat across from Jasper but as soon as everyone turned around Alice switched seats and lay her head on Jasper's shoulder. _Smooth Alice, _I thought,_ very smooth._

It was hard to believe that Alice and the Hales had left. I still expected to see Alice come dancing down the hall, a smiling Jasper trailing behind her. Now that Bella had no one to keep her away from Jacob I would hurry through my chores so she could go to the stables sooner and watch me take care of the horses. When Jacob offered to accompany her she just shook her head and told him that she preferred to supervise this alone. She said that she wanted to "make sure that the horses were being groomed correctly."

Over the next few days Bella played her cards well. She stayed in her room as much as possible, making excuses about looking over the wedding plans. The maids, who knew that Bella and I were in love, talked to her while they worked. An uncomfortable Jacob would stand off to the side during these conversations, unmoving and saying nothing. However, there were moments when I saw Bella and Jacob alone together. He was constantly flirting with her, trying to make her laugh. I hated these moments. She tried her best to ignore him, but it was difficult because he was so persistent. It took all of my strength not to go and rip her from his grasp when he put his arm around her waist.

Two days before the wedding I found Bella wearing her simple, emerald green satin dress.

"Tired of wearing the latest fashion?" I teased in her ear. She jumped, turned around, and blushed.

"Oh Edward, it's just you. Well yes, but also Alice told me, before she left, to wear it two days before the wedding. Weird huh? But I trust her," she said. Then more quietly, "I've missed you, but it's so hard to get rid of my shadow." We both laughed.

"Don't worry, we'll be out of here soon," I promised her. I brushed a piece of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. We heard a cough and I turned around.

"Charlie wants you to go check on the cotton in the barn," Jacob told her. Bella nodded, looking a little confused, and hurried off. Jacob and I locked gazes. His eye's narrowed in hatred as he stared at me. I glared back. We stood like that for a moment more before he turned heel and stalked off. I had a bad feeling about where he was going so I followed.

My suspicions proved correct when I noticed him sneaking into the barn. I had kept my distance until then, but as soon as he entered the barn I sped up. I opened one of the doors and slipped through the shadows. I saw the exact moment when he leaned in and whispered her name in her ear. She jumped, clearly startled.

"Bella I need to talk to you."

"Charlie didn't want me to come here," she realized. "I've never been asked to check on the cotton before."

"I know that that slave has a thing for you," he said walking towards her.

"What slave?" Bella feinted surprise, backing away slowly.

"It doesn't matter to me. He's a foolish boy—."

"He's older than you!" she blurted out.

His eyes narrowed. "You will be mine in two days. Make that clear to him."

"What if I don't want to marry you?" she protested angrily.

Her back hit one of the structural supports that held up the roof. He put his arms on either side of her, trapping her. I stood there, unable to move.

"You will become my wife. And if Edward tries to stop that then I will punish him myself. And usually when I punish people they don't survive," he laughed manically.

"You're sick and twisted," Bella cried. "If you touch him I'll call off the wed—"

"If you dare call off the wedding or refuse to marry me… Well let's just say that the angels shall weep for the both of you," Jacob threatened. "And now I think I shall claim my kiss from my wife-to-be."

As he leaned in something inside me snapped. I felt a monster roaring. I was going to stop that kiss. Bella's first kiss was meant for me and only me.

Without thinking I grabbed the nearest lantern and smashed it into the closest barrel of cotton. The effect was immediate. The barrel burst into flames before my eyes. I kicked it over and the hay littering the floor caught fire. I looked over at Jacob and Bella and saw that they had jumped apart. I heard Jacob curse loudly. He had a vice grip on Bella's arm and she was begging him to let go.

I heard a snapping noise and saw one of the beams detach itself from the ceiling. It was about to fall right where they were standing. I ran as fast as I could and tackled Bella out of the way just in time. She shrieked in surprise, but calmed down when she saw it was me. I saw that her eyes were filled with fear before I pulled her head into my chest and searched frantically for an exit. What was I thinking? Everything was in flames. I heard more creaking and knew that the roof was going to cave. I had to dive out of the way again to avoid another flaming beam. Bella was choking on the smoke and so was I.

I looked around and found that we had made our way to the oldest part of the barn where the walls were the weakest. The walls here had only started to catch fire. I saw an old broken wagon perched like a catapult and I had an idea. There was a net above one side of the broken wagon that was filled with boxes.

The rope that was holding it was about to give way so I pulled Bella into the wagon and waited. Then CRACK! Like the sound of a gun the ropes snapped and the boxes hit the other side of the wagon.

The force that the boxes hit the wagon with was enough to send us both flying through the wall. I almost cried out when my back broke through the rotting wood, but I held it in. We went tumbling out the other side and onto the grass. Outside there was a lot of screaming. I realized that I didn't even know if Jacob had made it out. It didn't matter at that point. The second we came crashing through that wall the barn collapsed. I didn't take the time to feel relieved. It was now or never.

I hauled Bella to her feet and ran. I ran straight for the cover of the trees. She stumbled a bit, but, thank goodness, never tripped. Some other slaves had had the same idea. I saw Riley sprinting for the woods, too. He had Mora in his arms and a hard look of determination on his face. I wished them a silent good-luck before looking away and entering the forest.

Even under the cover of the trees I didn't stop running. I kept Bella's hand firmly in my own so as not to lose her. I don't know how long we ran, maybe hours, before I finally slowed down. I wasn't stopping because I thought we were safe. I was stopping because I couldn't run anymore. I collapsed, exhausted, against a tree. Bella did the same.

That's when I noticed that she was crying. She had been crying the entire time we had been running. I mentally kicked myself for not stopping sooner and checking to make sure that she was alright. My only thought had been to get us as far away from Jacob as was possible. Slowly, I crawled over to her.

"Bella?" I said softly. She looked up, tears still streaming down her face. She was terrified. It broke my heart to see Bella like this.

"He…he tried to kiss me," she choked out. "He was going to hurt you. He was going to force me to marry him." She broke down again; her sobs echoing throughout the forest.

I wrapped my arms around her in a strong, unbreakable hold. "Shh. It's going to be alright. You're safe now. I won't let him hurt you." When I tightened my grasp she flinched. I let go immediately and looked her over, checking for burns.

I didn't see any which made me grateful. That would've been my fault. So what was hurting her? I glanced over her again and saw it. It was a forming bruise on her arm. The yellow-bluish color stood out on her pale pallor. The monster in me roared with anger. Jacob had done this to her. There was nothing to make a bruise go away so I bent over and kissed it. She smiled and muttered a "thank-you."

"We better find some shelter for the night," I told her, glancing warily at the approaching clouds.

She nodded in agreement and we set off to find shelter from the approaching rain clouds. I was tired and Bella was dead on her field. But when I offered to carry her she declined my offer. She was trying to be strong but we were both going to collapse. That's when it started raining. I found a hollow at the base of a tree and pulled Bella in there. It wasn't much, but it was shelter from the rain, which came pouring out of the sky; fast and cold.

I gathered Bella in my arms. She wrapped her arms around my torso and fell asleep instantly. I kissed the top of her head gently. She murmured my name and sighed. I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face. We were safe and unharmed. And we were free. Even though we were practically sleeping in a tree, outside, in the pouring rain we were free. And Bella was mine and Jacob Black would never touch her again. All we had to do was make our way to Jamestown and we would be fine. I hugged Bella closer to me. _Things are finally looking up, _I thought brightly. And it was on that happy note that I fell asleep.

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**YAY!! Theyre free FINALLY!!! It's about time. I really really hope you all enjoyed it. I'll update next week because if i update once a day then the story will be over in about a week. And we dont want that. Plus i need to check it over too. So feedback. I need feedback. They make me smile smile smile. I'd love to hear wat u think. Well im out for now talk to you guys next week!! Bye**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! How's it going. It's still this week so you can't kill me for being late. But i must say my teachers were packing on homework and tests like it was going out of style, ya know wat i mean? So i can't talk long ive got a basketball tournement so ill just let you guys read.  
Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine GRRRRRR**

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Chapter 13

**(EPOV)**

When I started to come back to reality I was confused. I was sure that I had overslept. So why wasn't one of the supervisors coming to yank me out of bed? I gasped and opened my eyes as the previous day's events came flooding back to me. _No, that couldn't have happened,_ I thought. _It must've been a dream. _But when I looked down sure enough Bella was in my arms looking peaceful and relaxed. I smiled at her then carefully moved her off of me. I frowned as I looked around and saw nothing to cover her with so I removed my shirt and placed it on her. She seemed very deep asleep so I decided to look around the area, maybe find some food.

I backed out of the hollow slowly. When I was out I marked the tree with enormous X's on all sides so that I could find it again. The sunlight that peeked through the canopy of leaves was bright and warm. The grass was wet with last night's rain, but there were no clouds in sight this morning. I walked around for a little while and found nothing. I was turning around to go back when I, luckily, ran into a blueberry bush. I checked to make sure that they were good then gathered as many as I could hold in my hands to bring them back for breakfast. I put the berries in a moss covered indent, covered them with leaves, and entered the hollow.

It was empty. The sight put me into a panic. My shirt was lying on the ground. I picked it up and put it back on.

"Bella?" I called out frantically. "Bella, where are you?"

I stopped and listened. I heard a faint noise coming from another tree. I walked over to it and there was Bella, curled up on the ground crying. I scooped her up into my arms. She jolted. Upon seeing that it was me she buried her head in my chest, wrapped her arms around my neck, and cried harder.

"I got so scared when I woke up and didn't see you there," she sobbed. "I thought you had left me. I didn't know where you were."

My face was incredulous. "Bella that is absurd. I would never leave. I went to look for breakfast and I found it. There are blueberries back at the tree. Come on."

I gently pulled her to her feet and wound my arms around her. In turn, she wrapped her arms around my waist. We walked like that all the way back to camp. I didn't even have to ask why she didn't stay there. Worried, she had come looking for me. I couldn't risk anything happening to her. _No more morning walks,_ I told myself. It wasn't worth it.

Breakfast was finished quickly. I was used to lack of food, but Bella was not. Even so, she vehemently refused my offer to share my blueberries with her. After breakfast Bella broached the subject the subject that was inevitable, but I was hoping to avoid.

"So what now?" she asked timidly. When I didn't respond she continued more fervently. "How are we going to get to Jamestown? We have no clothes and no money. We're lost in the middle of the forest!"

I took her hands in mine and made her look into my eyes.

"Here's what we're going do. We're going to find our way out of the forest and we're going to get to Jamestown. We'll eat what we can find. There are plenty of strawberries and raspberries. We'll be alright." I had said it to calm her down, but the words came out truer than I thought. "We'll take it one step at a time."

"One step at a time," Bella repeated.

I knew that even though I was panicking inside, I had to stay calm for Bella's sake. So that's what I did. I kept my face cool, calm, and collected.

We walked through the forest as fast as we could. We headed toward the rising sun: east. We had a better chance of finding civilization if we headed in the direction of the ocean. Besides, the forest couldn't go right to the water's edge. It had to end eventually. The sun was beating down on our backs when we looked for dinner. Bella managed to find a black berry bush and we ate from it greedily. I knew that if I didn't get Bella out of this forest soon she would starve.

The sun was setting when we had picked a fairly soft spot at the base of a tree. I gathered Bella close to me, humming in her ear. Gently, I rocked her back and forth. Her eyelids began to drop and soon she was asleep. I stayed awake to watch her sleep. My breath caught as the sun flashed on her face, making it glow. The light brought out streaks of red in her chestnut brown hair. And then the light was dying. And that's when we heard the howl.

Bella's eyes snapped open, wide with fear. I had listened to wolves enough to know that he was calling his pack. He had found food and that food was, without a doubt, us. We sprang up and began to run. More howling; the hunt was on. I matched Bella's pace evenly. Once I glanced over and saw that she had gathered the hem of her dress in her arms to make her faster. I turned my gaze back to the darkening forest. You could hardly see where you were going. Then I heard something that turned my blood to ice.

"Edward!" Bella cried out. I stopped short and whipped around.

Bella was laying on the ground a couple of feet behind me. At her feet was a tree root. The howling was closer, louder. It was the noise of a predator sensing an easy victory. I dashed back to her.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"The tree root… my ankle," she moaned.

I didn't have the time to check her ankle. I could see the wolves now. There were six of them; all snarling and growling. Their eyes glowed with a wild light. I scooped Bella up into my arms and shot through the forest like a bullet. I searched desperately for anyway to escape.

I gasped in relief. I had stepped into a small clearing. Near the edge of a river was a tall sycamore tree. Its lowest branches were low enough for us to get on, but high enough so that the wolves couldn't reach us. I dashed to its side and pushed Bella onto the branch; which was thick and strong. I clambered up after her. Just to be safe I helped Bella climb to the second branch, minding her ankle.

When I tried to follow her, my foot slipped and I almost went tumbling to the ground. Luckily, I'd managed to grab hold of the first branch. The wolves, now at the base of the tree, were barking madly. They were jumping trying to get me.

"No, Edward!" Bella yelled. She made a move to try and get down to me.

"Stay right there. Don't you dare move," I commanded. She froze, tears in her eyes.

Carefully, I hauled myself onto the branch. Then I slowly climbed up onto Bella's branch. The wolves howled in frustration. One even stood on its hind legs and clawed the sycamore. However, we still weren't safe. We weren't squirrels so we couldn't sleep in a tree. The tree's long branches reached to the other side of a wide river. Cautiously, I pulled Bella onto her feet and wrapped my arm around her waist to support her. We treaded around to the other side of the tree and sat down. We crawled across one of the branches that stretched over the treacherous, black river. It roared beneath us like a wild animal, drowning out the snarls of the wolves. It was waiting for us to fall so it could swallow us in its fast churning waters.

When we had reached the land on the other side I let go and dropped to the ground. Then I stood up to catch Bella. She was uncertain about letting go, but I finally convinced her to drop down. Unfortunately, we estimated wrong and she came crashing down on the top of my chest. We both collapsed onto the ground. I quickly stood up and looked towards the opposite river bank.

The wolves stood growling and spitting at us. One stepped back a couple of steps and launched itself at us. It almost made it, but the river was too wide. It splashed into the dark waters, clawing at the slippery rocks on the river's edge. It took a swipe at Bella, who was still on the ground, so I pulled her back sharply. Then a stronger current came and swept the wolf away. We heard it yelp once, go under, and never resurface.

The wolves on the other side started whining and crying. They slowly backed away until turning and finally retreating and disappearing into the woods. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the soft grass and closed my eyes. I felt Bella crawl to my side and lay her arm across my chest and bury her head in my shoulder. I pulled my arms around her and passed out.

After the horrendous chase last night, I was grateful for the bright, sunny morning. When I opened my eyes I found myself starring into Bella's striking brown orbs. She had her arm resting on my chest and her leg criss-crossed over mine. Her head was tilting upward toward my face. I held her closer.

"Morning beautiful," I said brightly.

"You slept in," she accused, blushing scarlet.

"But I'm awake now," I said sitting up and kissing her forehead. "How's your ankle?" I asked suddenly.

Bella ducked her head and avoided the question.

"Let me see," I coaxed her. She stuck out her ankle. I gently felt along the bone._ This is so wrong, _I thought. After all, I was a gentleman and gentleman weren't supposed to look at woman's ankles let alone feel them. But I had to admit, Bella did have nice ankles. I shook my head. Luckily, it wasn't broken, just sprained or bruised.

"You're fine," I said, felling relieved. "Can you walk on it?"

Bella shrugged. I pulled her off the ground and encircled my arms around her, supporting her. Then, gently, I put her down on her feet. Finally, she was supporting her own weight. I took a couple of steps back and told her to come to me.

"I feel like I'm two years old again and I'm taking my first steps," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Just see if you can walk."

Bella took one cautious step, then another, and another. She had no problems walking. I hugged her and said a prayer of thanks.

"Come on, let's go," I told her.

We continued on our journey to find a town. I kept a close eye on Bella, making sure she didn't fall or stumble. She seemed to be fine so I grabbed her hand. She seemed alright with that which made me happy. Still, I wanted nothing more than to get out of this forest, get Bella a good meal, and reunite with Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie.

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**Alright! So wat did everyone think? Feedback i want feedback! Like i said before can't talk long so BYE**


	15. Chapter 14

**So sorry. I can't believe how long it's been since i've updated. I feel terrible making everyone wait that long. But life got in the way. No im serious homework (ew), softball's starting (yay!), and people in general. So i hate to make anyone else wait for this chapter. So here it is.  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Twilight. However, im proud to say that i own all the OC's and the plot. AND IF ANYONE TRIES TO TAKE THAT ILL HUNT YOU DOWN!! no seriously i will. I have a hacker for a friend... jk jk  
**

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Chapter 14

**(EPOV)**

We set off towards the still rising sun feeling light and buoyant. I guess we both felt like this would be a good day. For once, our sub-conscious was right.

Around noon (it must've been noon because the sun was directly above us) we came upon a stream. It was nothing like the river from last night. This stream was at least three times smaller and a whole lot calmer. The deepest part was in the center and the water only came up to my knees. I could jump across it easily.

"Edward, can we take a break?" Bella asked. It was so hot I just nodded.

I bent over to drink some water. It was cool and fresh on my parched tongue. I hadn't had water since my last meal at Bella's house. She was doing the same. I looked around when I was done. There were a lot of tall weeds growing by the river. At the time, I didn't think anything of it.

"Edward, do you know how to start a campfire?" said Bella's voice, soft and thoughtful.

"No," I said regretfully. It was one of the few things, survival-wise, that I couldn't do.

"Oh, that's okay." It sounded like she was thinking hard. I looked up to see what she was thinking about.

She walked over to the weeds, broke off a stem, and sniffed it. Her eyes grew wide with triumph and her face broke into a smile.

"Bella, what−?" I tried to ask, but she surprised me by ripping the weeds out of the ground. She held them up looking excited.

"Look, Edward look!" she bounced up and down. She was looking at the weeds like they were a life saver.

"I'm looking Bella. All I see is weeds." My incomprehension didn't lessen her spirit. She threw herself onto her knees by the stream and dunked the… whatever it was into the water and washed it. When she held it back up I recognized it. It was an onion.

"Here, try it," she said throwing it at me.

I took a bite. It tasted like a gourmet dinner to my starving stomach. And it was big, too! I finished it instantly. We ate our way through most of the onions and sat resting in the shade of a tall oak tree.

"Edward, can we set up camp here?" Bella asked sleepily. She looked so peaceful nestled against me that I agreed with her. "Alright," she said getting up and heading back towards the stream.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To wash my dress," she said as she pulled it over her head.

"Bella!" I yelled, slapping my hands over my eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I'm washing my dress," was Bella's surprised reply. There was a moment of silence before she burst out laughing. "Oh Edward, don't worry. I'm wearing an under dress. Go on look."

I hesitantly removed my fingers from my eyes and opened them. And there stood Bella with her dress in one hand. I forced my eyes to look at the rest of her body and, sure enough, she was wearing a white under dress. It was the same color as her skin tone which was why I hadn't noticed it before. Still giggling she pulled the white dress above her knees and knelt on the riverbank.

Slowly she scrubbed her dress clean. It was a long process, but eventually she hung her now clean emerald dress from a tree branch. I stared at her in awe. Since Bella was rich it had never crossed my mind that she would know how to do servants' tasks such as doing the laundry.

She looked at me and sighed. It sounded more like an exasperated sigh to me.

"Here, give me your shirt," she sighed again. I raised my eyebrow and she blushed. "It's filthy," she defended herself.

"Sure, sure," I said mischievously. I knew it was only that, but it was fun making Bella blush. "If you really wanted to see me shirtless all you had to do was ask."

Her face went from pink to beet red. "I…I…why…" She wasn't able to say anything in response to my joke.

"Kidding Bella," I said taking off my shirt. I heard an intake of breath. I handed the shirt to her laughing.

"Edward, you jerk," she said punching me in the shoulder. I laughed harder. "Oh, go sit back under the tree and leave me alone."

It was late afternoon when Bella brought me my shirt. Since it was simply made of cotton it hadn't taken too long to wash. The dry, intense heat had dried both articles of clothing in no time.

"I'll go get some dinner," she told me, handing me my shirt. She had already changed back into her dress. Her face, arms, and legs had been scrubbed clean. I had washed, also. "How do onions sound?"

"It sounds delicious."

She went over to the stream and started pulling out a couple of onions. I watched as she bent down and washed them. I saw her begin to stand up and freeze. She dropped the onions and picked something up out of the water. Then she screamed my name.

"Edward!"

I jolted and ran over to her. When I reached her I noticed that she was excited, not scared. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Look at this." She held out her hand. In it was a ribbon, like the kind a little girl would tie in her hair. My shoulders sagged. I had been expecting something else. For the second time that day I thought Bella's excitement was pointless. And for the second time that day I was proved wrong.

"Bella, it's just a ribbon," I told her.

"Yeah, I know. But do you know what it this means?" she fired back. When I shook my head she explained. "It looks like a little girl's ribbon. She was playing by the river north of here or fetching water when it fell off. It floated down the stream to here. That means that there's either a town or a house north of here. We should follow the river."

I blinked. What she said made a lot of sense, but still…

"I think we should keep heading east. We're bound to run into a town sooner or later."

"Yeah, but we _know_ that we're going to run into a town if we follow the river. Besides, Jamestown was _north_ of where I used to live," she reasoned.

We argued for a little while longer before I finally caved and agreed with Bella. She wanted to keep walking until we reached the town, but I pointed out to her that we had to rest at one point. After that we gathered all of the onions by that part of the stream. I made a basket out of my shirt and carried the onions there. After all, we didn't want to stop for food and we didn't even know when we would run into more food.

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Sunset, my favorite time of the day. The cool of the evening was blissful after the sweltering heat of the day. It was an excellent time to travel, in my opinion. In the middle of the summer the greatest relief for travelers and field workers came when the sun disappears beyond the horizon. Speaking of sundown…

I glanced up at the sky. It was an assortment of colors. Light fluffy clouds had turned pink.

_Beautiful twilight, sailor's delight._

_Beautiful morning, sailor's warning._

The old sailor's rhyme echoed in my head and I smiled. Together we trudged on through the night. We stayed to the left of the stream. The moon shone brightly, lighting up the dark forest and making it seem less scary. Even so, the forest was alive with small creatures and Bella was already tense. Once, when an owl hooted, Bella jumped so high that she crashed into me. I held her hand the rest of the night.

The sounds and signs of the forest's nocturnal creatures awakening comforted me. To me it was a sign that life really was going on, in the same pattern that it had been repeating since the beginning of time.

We stopped, only once, to rest; all too soon, though, we got back up to continue our journey. However, more than once I would bend down, scoop some water into my hands, and splash it on my face. Some time before dawn I noticed a change in the forest.

The trees were getting thinner, farther apart. My heart rate quickened as I increased my pace until I was running through the last stretch of trees. I could see a hut up ahead. I broke through the barrier of trees right as the sun broke over the horizon. The stream ran right through the backyard flowing only a few feet from the house itself.

Sitting besides the stream was a young girl. She wore her jet black hair in a long ponytail tied at the nape of her neck. She wore a shin length, ratty dress that looked like it was made out of a potato sack, which it probably was. She looked up as we approached her. Her face melted into a smile, but she did not look surprised to see us, two random travelers that probably looked like hell.

"Hello Bella, Edward," she said. I'm pretty sure that my face portrayed my shock because she chuckled. "I'm Fayth," she introduced herself. She pronounced her name with a hard "a" sound.

"How do you know our names?" Bella blurted out.

The peculiar girl smiled. "I know much more than that. I know that Edward is a former slave and you two escaped from Bella's father. I know that you're meeting up with other runaways in an old abandon church. And I know that you two are heading to Jamestown."

I was dumbfounded.

"How do you know these things?" Bella asked.

The smile disappeared from her face and her eyes were suddenly gazing at something in the distance. "I know many things." Then her focus shifted back to us and her smile returned. "I saw you two coming so I decided to look into it. Most people don't stumble upon this cottage so I got curious."

"So you can…what… see the future or something?" I found myself asking.

She gave us a wry smile. "Something like that. May I have my ribbon back?" Fayth asked unexpectedly.

"How did you know about…?" Bella trailed off.

Now Fayth looked embarrassed. "Well, you two were heading too far east−" Bella gave me a pointed look, "−and I wanted to help. So I put my ribbon in the river knowing that you would find it." She smiled sweetly. Her smile was innocent, but her eyes didn't fit the picture. They looked to wise for someone her age. They looked as if they've seen all the things, good and bad, that have happened and have yet to happen.

"What are you?" I asked, mystified.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she laughed. "Now, I asked my mother to pick up some supplies for you two. She's gone right now, but the stuff is inside."

"Wait," I said, "you're just going to let two random people inside your house when your mom's not home?"

She looked confused. "Yes. I know you're not going to hurt me. Besides, you wouldn't stand a chance," she said with a secret smile that made me fee like I was missing something. "Please come in." Fayth turned and headed towards the back door of the cottage. Bella shrugged and we followed. We both agreed that this girl was strange, but if she could help then who are we to pass up this opportunity?

She stopped at the doorway. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Fayth turned around and headed back to the stream. There she picked up a clay-bowl and scooped some water in it. Then she came back to us and opened the door. And my jaw dropped.

I had stepped into a kitchen. Hanging from the ceiling and covering most of the kitchen were herbs and plants. Over a fire a cauldron sat simmering. Fayth placed the bowl on a clear part of the counter by the window. She threw something green into the bowl and said something unintelligible. Then she turned and led us through another door into a hallway.

"All the supplies that you need is through this door. I also asked my mom to leave some spare clothes. I'll leave you to get changed," she said.

"Well, what do you think?" Bella said when Fayth had closed the door.

"She's either not human or off her rocker," I answered truthfully.

"Either way, she's very nice and thoughtful," she said going through the supplies on the bed, "but she is unusual."

After that we changed in silence behind two little curtained off sections of the bedroom. Then we packed the clothes that we had been wearing before. Fayth had packed two backpacks that were full of food, spare clothes, a few blankets, and medical supplies. She had packed a compartment box full of herbs and ointment as well as a list of what they were, what they were used for, and how to use them. _She thinks of everything, this girl,_ I thought.

We went back to the kitchen. Fayth was leaning over the counter, staring intently at something on it. That's when I noticed that she was shaking and sweating. Her hands clenched the edge of the counter.

"Fayth?" Bella asked softly.

I also noticed that Fayth was crying, but her eyes remained focused on the bowl of water that she had brought in. She kept sobbing the word "no." The green herb was spinning in circles, wildly.

"Fayth!" I yelled.

Bella yanked her away from the bowl. Fayth broke down and started sobbing even harder. Bella pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair trying to comfort her. The herb stopped swirling and lay still in the water. Fayth looked so small and young, like a child. _She is only a child, _the voice in my head said. Oh yeah, I had forgotten that. The wisdom and years of knowledge in her eyes had made me forgot that she was no older than eight or nine.

Fayth's sobs subsided into whimpers. Then finally she stopped and looked at us. Bella let her go and she stepped back.

"I'm sorry. I was looking at the path ahead for you and something else caught my eye. When I went to look at it I couldn't stop. The images…" she shuddered.

That's when it hit me, like a horse and carriage. I had figured it out. I pulled Bella behind me.

"Edward, what…" Bella tried to say but I cut her off.

"I know what you are," I told Fayth. She didn't show any emotion.

"You're a…"

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**Hahaha its been a while since ive had a cliff hanger. So i want to get a few things straight before everyone reviews. First of all Fayth is my favorite OC in this story. Sorry everyone else.**

**other OC's: Aww man**

**Second, you can in fact spell Faith Fayth. If you dont believe me then read Nightworld Vol. 2: The Chosen. It's in there. Also i wont be able to update until like the 2nd or 3rd week in February. Sorry again but ive got midterms and i really need 2 study. Especially math and spanish...well not so much spanish but algebra definitly. So sorry. But still everyone review. They make me write faster. Review Review Review! Ooooo in fact ill make a contest. Anyone who can guess what Fayth is gets a virtual cookie and will be congratulated in the next chapter. So come on please answer the question. _What is Fayth??_ Edward figured it out. Can you???**


	16. Chapter 15

**OMG i am so sorry. i promised this weeks ago i know i know and i feel terrible. But the sad true is that i had no idea wat i was gonna write for this chapter. So it' s just a filler really. The next chapter (if i get my way and i always get my way muwhaha) will be AWESOME and totally worthy of all my loyal readers and even loyaler (is that even a word) reviewers. Um so yea another thing is those stupid midterms (which i thankfully got A's on) totally sapped my imagination. It's like my mind went blank and i couldn't think of a good sidestory which pissed the hell out of me. I mean i couldnt even give my bro an idea for his creative writing assignment. How sad is that? So thanks for all the reviews guys really it helped a little. Oh, which reminds me. As promised I want to give a shout out to everyone that reviewed and guessed correct about wat Fayth is. (although most of u guessed like five times)**

**Anyway, Congrats to... **

**et114141, hplexmark, TrueBella, twilighter1994, Twilight-Writing-904, vampire-luver101, LynnyLiz, Sendmeonmyway, and last but not least Rtwqrtwq**

**Fayth is in fact a witch. But i have to say i was very impressed with some of the answers that you guys came up with. They were very creative. Oh and a very very very special thanks to Danielle (Pixie you no who you are), my totally insane friend Amber, and my er... one of a kind friend Charlotte (jk jk i love you guys) because they bugged me to death to get this chapter up and running. Especially pixie she was starting to threaten me. hehe. So ive kept you from reading this long enough. ON WITH THE STORY!**

**Disclaimer: Alas none of it is mine. Except Fayth yay!!  
**

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Chapter 15

**(EPOV)**

"You're a witch," I told her.

Fayth blinked and then nodded. "I knew that you would figure it out."

Bella, on the other hand, was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm a blood witch. I study witchcraft," Fayth enunciated slowly. "It only runs through the female line, in other words, men may study the craft, but they cannot do." As if to prove her point she touched a wilting blossom which instantly sprung into full bloom. Fayth smiled at the plant as Bella gasped.

I pulled Bella farther behind me. Fayth rolled her eyes and walked right up to me, starring into my eyes. She didn't even reach my shoulders yet I flinched. There's just something about this girl that makes you want to cower in fear. It might've been the eyes. They definitely looked too old for someone her age.

"Let me let you in on a little secret," she lowered her voice. "We're not what you think. Witchcraft is not what everyone thinks. A witch is one who is more attuned to nature and worships it. She can channel energy to and from the earth."

"That's it?" Bella said unbelievingly.

"No, there are other parts to it. There's so much to it. Runes, spells, potions, wand lore, gems, and of course our holidays are different from yours," Fayth told us, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

"And why can't men do what… you know… you do?" I asked.

Fayth gave me a wry smile. "Because they're a bunch of air heads that can't calm themselves down to a simple state of mind."

Bella burst out laughing behind me. "You got that right," she snorted.

"So, what's your specialty?" I asked eager to take the conversation off insulting my gender.

Fayth's eyes sparkled. "I love Herbology and scrying. I'm very good at them both."

"Okay, herbology is that study of plants that much I know, but what in the world is scrying?" I wondered, mystified. Unlike herbology, its name gave no hints as to what it might be.

"Of course you wouldn't know what it is," Fayth laughed freely. "Scrying is using the elements to see the future."

"You can see the future?" Bella asked her voice disbelieving. I, myself, was having a hard time wrapping my mind around such a concept. "What kinds of elements?"

"Umm, you can use gems, fire, and water. I believe there are other ways, but I only know of those three."

"What's your preferred element?" I jumped in. I apologized when I saw the look on her face. "Sorry, you probably feel like you're under some kind of examination."

She shook her head, grinning. "I don't mind, although I must say I've never met people that are so interested in the craft. My element is fire. It's unpredictable, but very true. You see fire cannot be controlled so easily."

_Just like you,_ I thought. It was true, she was very unpredictable. Also, she had a very fiery personality. I was so lost in my thoughts that I missed part of what she said next.

"−with water. It's easy to scry with, but the images aren't always true. But the more you master scrying with water the truer the images. I practice at least twice a day with water and once every other day with gemstones. Fire comes naturally so I don't have to practice with it."

"What did you see before?" I found myself asking.

Fayth visibly paled and her eyes got misty.

"I'm sorry I was just curious, but if it really scared you then you don't have to tell us," I amended.

"No it's okay," she shook her head and then told us. "I saw brothers fighting brothers, families torn apart and fighting, hot lead going right through their bodies. I saw a time where the entire world was at war with itself. I saw people losing all their money and living on the streets, losing their homes. I saw an army led by a man who was locking people up, starving them in camps, killing them with some kind of poisonous gas. I saw flying machines drop metal containers on cities and there being two big explosions that made clouds that looked like mushrooms. People are hurt and dying. There was so much death…" she trailed off. I shook her trying to get her away from the future. It didn't sound so good, but then again…

"You said water isn't always accurate and that sometimes it's untrue right?" Bella reminded her.

"Yes of course, it may not happen at all." But she sounded unsure.

"Who taught you all of this?" I wondered. I was also trying to change the subject, again. Bella looked deeply troubled by Fayth's fortune telling. My stomach also knotted with the news. However, I would find a way to protect Bella from all of it.

"My mom," she answered simply.

"Is she a very good witch?" Bella said curiously.

Fayth instantly became wary. She turned her head to look out the window, her gaze becoming glazed. It was as if she could see something that we could never see. Or maybe she was looking into the future there and then. Perhaps she was lost in memories. It was impossible to tell with this young girl.

Then her gaze shifted back to us.

"My mom is a squib"

"What's that?" I asked rather rudely. Bella smacked my arm.

"It's a blood witch that can't produce magic."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. When did your mother find out?" Bella, kind as always, asked softly.

"A witch doesn't get her full powers until she's fourteen. My grandmother taught my mom everything she knew. My mother was an eager learner. She absorbed everything my grandmother said."

"Shouldn't she have been able to do little things?" I asked confused.

Fayth nodded. "Young witches can. They can give life to a dying plant by touching it. Sometimes if they throw a temper tantrum they can make things fall."

"So when my mom reached fourteen and she didn't get her powers…"

"She realized that she was a squib," Bella finished.

Fayth shook her head. "No, my grandmother told her that she would get them soon. My mother studied witchcraft vigorously and intensely, she loved it so much that it never occurred to either of them that she didn't have powers."

Fayth paused and looked out the window again. Absentmindedly, she put her fingers in the bowl of water and began swirling it slowly. Bella and I waited patiently for the rest of the story. Fayth seemed to be lost in her memories again. It was dead quiet.

I was startled when Fayth began speaking again.

"About a month past and she still had no powers. By that time she had figured out what she was. She cried for days and my grandmother cried with her. Nothing anyone said made her feel better. My grandmother told her that it was cruel that someone so eager to learn couldn't have the tools to expand their knowledge. My mother studied witchcraft like crazy. She attempted to create a spell that could give her powers."

"But it was impossible. There is a spell that takes away powers, but none to receive them. Then she met my father. They fell in love and got married.−" Fayth smiled at this point and so did Bella. I wondered why this was the first time she mentioned that she had a father. "−She feel deeper and deeper in love with him and eventually had me. A new plan became to formulate in her mind. There was a chance that I would have powers and so she was determined to prepare herself to teach me everything."

Fayth paused again.

"Well she was right," Bella smiled. Fayth nodded.

"It is true, but I was different and my mother knew it right away."

"Different how?" I prodded.

Fayth shifted her gaze from Bella to me. She smiled softly. "I showed magical signs right away; very powerful signs. When I was eight months old I set our old cat on fire after it scratched me."

"You set your cat on fire?" I inquired.

She chuckled. "He didn't die. Mama put him out in time, but he never bothered me again. No one liked him. He was always scratching people."

"Nice," I approved. Bella shot me a dirty look. Oh yeah, that's right she loves all life and hates suffering.

"So why do you think you are more powerful?" Bella asked.

"My mother has a theory. She thinks that the powers she should have had were stored inside of her and passed onto me. So I got her powers plus mine. Do you get where I'm going with this?"

We both nodded. I felt Bella move closer to me and intertwine her fingers in mine. Fayth's eyes zeroed in on our entwined hands. Her smile widened.

"Anymore questions?"

I wanted to ask about her father, but I had a bad feeling that the answer wouldn't be good.

"He's dead," Fayth said, unexpectedly, surprising me.

"Excuse me?" I asked, startled.

"My father's dead. I knew you were thinking about it. I just wasn't sure if you would ask."

Bella and I exchanged a look. How did this girl no everything?

"How did he die?" I said awkwardly.

"He was killed because my mom was a part of the witchcraft. I was too young to remember him. I was only eighteen months old. After that she took me to America to keep me safe."

"I'm so sorry," Bella whispered.

"It's okay. I never met him. I never knew him. It's hard to miss someone you've never known. And now you know everything." She leaned back against the counter.

"Are you kicking us out?" I joked.

"No, but it's time for you to continue your journey. Your friends will be waiting for you."

She began to walk us to the front door.

"Will we ever see you again?" Bella asked.

Fayth turned around and looked up at us. For the first time since we've met her, she looked like a young girl. "Yes we shall meet again."

We reached the front door. She opened it for us.

"My mother will be sorry that she missed you, but all you have to do is keep walking straight. You'll come across a road. When you reach it head north. You'll reach Jamestown in two days or so. Oh−" The wise look was back in her eyes. "−and do not walk the road at night and when you sleep, sleep off the road. Trust me."

"Alright," I nodded. We then said our good-byes. Bella hugged her and we shook hands. Then we loaded our bags onto our backs and headed off towards the road that would take us to our final destination, leaving all this magic behind us and heading back to reality.

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**Well there ya guys go. I told you it would be a filler and man did i have a tough time writing it, but i got through it cause i wont stop writing this until its done no matter how many other stories im dying to write. Im counting bout 2 or 3 but i prefer to do it one at a time. So yea there you go and if im counting right theres only about 3 or 4 more chapters NOT including the epilouge. It will be a good ending... on second thought mayb 5 more chapters. It depends on how fast i can wrap up a good ending without murdering the story. So yea please review im so happy to say that weve hit at least 329 reviews so thank you all so much. And i had one more thing 2 say but i cant remember it.......... oh yea! its about the next chapter. It shall be very exciting and actiony (again is that a word?) and it will require a lot of research but it shouldnt take as long as this 1. Also, very sorry if the updating gets slow cause softballs starting up and ive got it with the school during the week and travel ball killing my weekends so ill try to get the next chappy up b4 the full force of the season hits. See you soon! Bye for now!**

twilighter1994

Twilight-Writing-904

vampire-luver101

LynnyLiz

Sendmeonmyway

_& last but not least_

Rtwqrtwq


	17. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone! How's it going? Well im back with the next chapter. This one is a filler cause i had to do something. I mean it would've been sooo boring if i had just written about them walking through the forest so i added something random. Anyways, unfortunately my research failed and i had to make everything up which was annoying cause i had no idea wat i was gonna do. So basically i spaced out in school trying to brainstorm for this chapter so if i fail i blame u people. Just kidding my grades r safe theyd have to b if i was ever going to b allowed on the computer again. So i think that covers everything and now i am shutting up! *smiles evily and speaks in mysterious voice* for now....  
Disclaimer: Everything except for the story line and the OC's do not belong to me. The r rightful property of Stephenie Meyer. : )**

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Chapter 16

**EPOV**

We had stumbled across the road around twilight and decided to camp there for the night. For the first time I since we had escaped I was comfortable knowing that I could at least cover Bella in a blanket. For the first time I knew that she would be warm while she slept. Neither of us felt very hungry so we skipped dinner. Bella curled up next to me and fell asleep instantly. I stayed up a little longer, glancing up at the stars that I could see through the trees. My last thought before drifting off into a peaceful slumber was about Fayth and what part she would play in our future.

The next morning we had a delicious breakfast of fresh bread and grape jelly. Also, Bella discovered a patch of wild strawberries. It was delightful. I hadn't tasted real food in so many years that I gobbled it down and then cursed myself for eating too quickly. We wouldn't eat again until sundown and I hadn't even bothered to at least savor the taste.

After breakfast we packed up the blankets that we had used and hit the road. The birds were singing and the atmosphere was light. Everything seemed less terrifying now that we had found a road that would take us directly to Jamestown. There would be no more following the sun. We had a true route that wouldn't fail or take us in circles. Bella had a bounce in her step that hadn't existed before. I was light hearted enough to whistle the tune to an old lullaby my mother had sung to me. When I finished Bella had said that it was beautiful and inquired as to where I had heard it.

By the time the sunlight was dying we had made very good progress. Oddly, we hadn't run into one single traveler on the road. We both agreed that this was weird, but perhaps this road wasn't widely used.

Our dinner consisted of perfectly preserved and fresh fruit and a mixture of nuts and dried berries. Water washed down the meal. We pulled out the blankets and lay against a sturdy oak a little off the road. We took Fayth's parting words very seriously. Bella leaned her head into my chest and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. An idea began to form in my mind. I kissed her on the top of her head.

Then I began to sing the lullaby. Bella smiled as she recognized the tune then snuggled closer to me.

As the last notes lingered in the air Bella's eyes drifted shut as she fell into a peaceful slumber. I hugged her close then closed my eyes. If only my dreams had been sweet like Bella's.

_I knew I was back at the Swan Manor. It was the only house I'd ever seen that had an entrance hall that splendid. I looked around for Bella, but failed to find her. I walked up the stairs to her room. My stomach twisted in knots. It was an unpleasant feeling. I felt sick before I opened the door to her room._

_And there in the center of the room Bella was locked in a passionate kiss with someone. My heart jumped into my throat. I wanted to call out to her, but didn't need to. She pulled away from the person and looked right at me. He had his hands around her waist holding her close, too close. I was furious, but recognizing the culprit sent my anger way beyond deadly. I had never felt this way before. How dare Jacob steal Bella's first kiss! How dare Bella give it to him!_

"_Edward," she said with a smile._

_Then the dream changed. The room was gone and so was the horrid scene. Trees sprouted and the room turned into a dark forest. I was alone and it was quiet, way too quiet. There was no wind, no crickets, and no owls. It felt void of anything and everything living. That's when it happened._

_A mist began to creep around my ankles, but it was thickening and turning into a fog. I did the only logical thing I could, I ran for it. _

_I sprinted through the forest the fog hot on my heels. I ran like the devil was chasing me. In this case that's what it felt like. _

"_Help!" I heard a pitiful voice cry._

_I whipped around so fast I stumbled. Bella was lying on the ground, her ankle twisted in an awkward way. I knew she had broken it, probably by tripping. The fog was swirling towards her. At first I was angry, she had been kissing Jacob and now she needed my help. Then I saw her face, the fear and sadness. The fog was surrounding her and my anger turned to worry. I ran over to her and picked her up. I turned around, ready to continue running. But what I saw stopped me in my tracks._

_Fayth was standing in front of me; looking up at me with those wise eyes. She wasn't smiling. She looked very worried._

"_Edward don't do it," she said, her voice echoing and filling the forest._

I jolted awake, waking Bella in the process.

"What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed.

"Nothing, just a bad dream," I told her. She put her head against my head and I stroked her hair.

"It's just a dream," she soothed.

"Yeah, it's just a dream," I repeated. I lay my head on top of hers, and kissed the top of it.

"Don't worry Edward, we're almost there. We're going to see Rose and Emmett and Alice and Jasper soon."

"Do you want to have breakfast?" I asked.

"Sure," she said hesitantly, but she must've sensed my desperation to change the subject.

Breakfast was quick and delicious. I paced myself this time so I could savor the meal. Then we packed up and went on our way. We walked hand in hand, quieter today. I wondered how much farther it was until we reached our destination. We were tired; I wasn't sure how much longer I could go on. After all, sleeping on the ground isn't that comfortable and last night's nightmare had left me feeling restless and although Bella didn't show it I knew that she must've been exhausted.

I missed sleeping in a bed, even if my bed was a cot. I missed Emmett, too. I wondered how he and the others were doing; if they had gotten there alright, if they were already settled in.

Our day passed in an uneventful manner, but at dusk we reached a sign that restored our excitement. The sign said, "2 miles to Jamestown." The only problem was that the sun had sunk below the horizon and now we had a choice to make: set up camp or walk through the night and get there by morning. _Oh, do not walk the road at night and when you sleep, sleep off the road. Trust me,_ Fayth's warning echoed in my ears. Then I remembered what she said in my dream. _Edward don't do it._ But I really wanted to reach Jamestown.

"Come on Bella, let's keep walking. This way we'll get there by morning." Bella cocked her head, but said nothing. I wondered if she was remembering Fayth's warning, too. _After all, what could go wrong?_ I thought. If I had known how wrong I was I wouldn't have let that thought even cross my mind.

It was quite dark now. We had been traveling for a while. Suddenly, I felt that something was wrong. Clouds rolled in, covering the moon, the atmosphere felt tense, like the calm before a storm, even the creatures of the night had stopped making noise. All was quiet. What happened next sent me into a panic.

A mist started to creep around my ankles and I almost jumped out of my skin. I remembered my dream, at least Bella was with me and she most definitely hadn't been kissing Jacob. I grabbed her hand and pulled her along faster. In no time we were jogging. I wanted to keep moving. When the mist turned into fog I wanted to bolt, but Bella was tired and I knew she couldn't do it. However, she must've sensed my fear because she increased her pace.

The fog was so thick and dense that soon enough I couldn't see what lay in front of me. Twice we almost ran headlong into a tree, but we managed to swerve and avoid it. Then our luck ran out. A tree root sprang up out of the ground. I was able to hurdle it, but Bella tripped and fell. I had taken three steps away from the root, turned around to see if she was alright, and had a heart attack. I couldn't even see her! The fog had completely engulfed her. When she cried out my name I breathed a sigh of relief and walked back towards her. I saw a dark shape on the floor, however, it wasn't until I knelt next to her was I able to actually _see_ her. Oh, was I regretting not listening to Fayth now. I wanted to kick myself, but first I had to get us out of these woods.

"Are you alright?" I asked in a hushed whisper. I didn't know why I was whispering, but it felt like someone was watching us.

"Yeah, I'm fine," was her reply.

I bent down all the way and scooped her into my arms. She was still as light as she was the first time I carried her in my arms, when we were running away. She protested, saying that she could walk on her own feet. I had to smile at her determination to be strong, but I told her that we couldn't risk her falling again. She folded her arms and pouted. It would've been funny, but when I looked up the chuckle died in my throat.

The ghostly shape of a man stepped out of the fog. His clothes were in tatters and his skin was as brown as coffee. His arms were scarred and the skin on his wrists had been rubbed raw as if he had been trying to escape shackles or rope bonds. And his eyes, well he didn't have any. They were hallowed sockets. He carried a bloody axe.

I took a step back and stumbled over the tree root that had tripped Bella. The man was blocking our path and he wasn't going to move. Instead he walked towards us. His form shimmered as he walked. I had a feeling that he could hurt us, but we couldn't touch him. I set Bella back on her feet. We backed up until our backs hit a tree. I looked at Bella and she understood the message I was trying to convey to her: _You go right, I'll go left._ The man lifted up his axe and swung down. Bella darted to the right, I dove to the left. I turned around to see the man's shape looming over me. He was talking, too, muttering to himself.

"White men killed my family. I'll kill them all. I'll avenge my family. They're all murderers anyway."

He raised his axe once more and swung it down. The axe struck home…against a log. I had rolled out of the way and I kept rolling until I thought I was safe. When I looked up the man was looking at his axe, as if confused why it had split a log instead of me. I sat up slowly and was about to stand when I sat on a twig. The man's head snapped toward me. Then suddenly Bella was standing in front of, arms spread.

"What are you doing?" I hissed at her. When she didn't respond I continued. "Get out of the way, he'll kill you."

"No, I'm not leaving you Edward," Bella snapped.

The man stalked towards Bella. I was frozen with fear unable to protect the one person I had sworn to keep safe.

"Move," warned the man. I had to agree with him.

"No," Bella said firmly. I was shocked. Was she actually standing up to a ghost? "I'm not going to let you hurt him. He's done nothing wrong."

She had a look of hard determination in her eyes and I believed that she wasn't going to let him hurt me. But I couldn't risk her getting hurt. As I was about to tell her to get out of here he spoke again.

"His kind killed my family. I'll kill him."

Bella's eyes softened and her expression turned sympathetic. When she spoke her voice was soft.

"Edward isn't one of them. He's not cruel and he wouldn't hurt anyone. He used to be a slave, too. And he's done nothing wrong." She paused then tried a different approach. "I know why you're still here. You can't rest because you think it's your fault that your family's dead, but they're in a better place and they're waiting for you."

The man looked taken aback, if the dead can look startled. Then he looked scared.

"I know that you're afraid of moving on, but it's that fear of the unknown that's keeping you here. But your purpose here is over. You may go in peace."

For a second I thought the man was going to kill her. Then his expression changed into one of hope. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. After that, a harsh wind blew and he seemed to melt before our eyes as if the wind was blowing him away. The strange thing was that as soon as he was gone the fog seemed to fade and disappear. Bella helped me up and we sprinted out of that place.

Dawn was just breaking when the road we were traveling on began to slope upward. We reached the top of the hill just as the sun broke through the horizon, lighting up the world with beautiful rays of color. The sky was tinged with pink and orange. Then I realized that the sun was rising above the ocean. When I looked down I saw that we were on a hill that overlooked a town by the sea.

"Edward, look," Bella said pointing.

She was pointing at a sign. And the sign said "Welcome to Jamestown."

"We made it!" she cried in happiness, jumping into my arms. And it was true, we had made. We'd traveled so far for so long and had been through a lot and we were finally safe. I was so happy that I grabbed Bella's face and I kissed her. I don't know what came over me, but I did it. It was quick. I pulled back and saw her staring at me, completely shocked. At first I was scared. What if she didn't want me to kiss her?

Then she grabbed my face and _she_ kissed _me_! And I was in heaven. I had dreamed of kissing her since the day I had caught her falling off the stairs. I felt nothing but passion as our lips moved in sync. I pulled her closer to me. I felt her hands twirling my hair. _Oh god,_ was my only thought as we kissed. She tasted like the sweetest thing on earth.

Slowly, we pulled away, gasping for breathe. I wrapped my arms around her as she laid her head on my chest. I was so happy that I had kissed her. Finally, we separated. I kept my hand firmly in her hers and pulled her down the hill towards the town.

"Come on," I said feeling happier than I ever had in my life, "let's go find the others."

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**So did you guys like it. I know i know i finally let them kiss...erm i apologize if it wasnt that descriptive cause well im not a pervert and if u were looking for something to satisfy ur pervertedness then look elsewhere. So now i want feedback. We r coming to the end of our story... NO NOT RIGHT NOW YEESH theres still a few more chapters plus an epilouge. Um softball is really kicking off now so im not sure when ill update. Its spring break and its raining which is the only reason i could finish/post this chapter but ill be working hard... but im taking my bday off cause no1 wants 2 work on their bday but thats not til may so ive got time 2 work on this. Unfortunately state tests r coming up YUCK so ill b busy with that but ill try really hard. Um yea so thats all i guess. Review please they make me work harder and they really do brighten my day. **


	18. Chapter 17

**Hey everyone it's me! OMG im so sorry it took forever to update this. My life is so hectic right now. So heres the last chapter. Dont freak out theres still gonna be and epilogue it would be horrible to stop here. SO yea i gotta go so enjoy the chapter  
Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or any of it's characters. However the OCs r mine!!**

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Chapter 17

**(EPOV)**

It was easy enough to find the others. Bella and I walked through town and found the church without asking for directions. The old abandoned cathedral stood sturdy and solitary on a hill overlooking the town with its back to the sea. We trudged up the hill exhausted and dirty. When we reached the top we knocked on the door. At first, nothing happened so I knocked again. I thought I saw a curtain flutter. About five seconds later I heard a familiar voice shout, "Open the door! They made it!"

After that, the door flung open and Bella and I were engulfed in several hugs. Then we were showed around our new home and I had to admit, it wasn't bad at all. They had hung up pieces of cloth as curtains and nailed some pieces of wood that had been thrown away to cracks in the walls. Emmett had managed to get three mattresses, from a rich folk, to sleep on (I blushed at the thought of sleeping with Bella.) Rosalie and Jasper had laid blankets, which they had packed, on the mattresses. Coincidently, there had been hundreds of candles left in the church after it was deserted so we needn't worry about light. There was a pump out back that still pumped fresh water that was good for drinking, cooking, and bathing, too. Also, Rosalie, who had tons of jewelry, was selling it off a little at a time for money to buy food.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. We all lived safe and happy in our run down church. Our girls did marvelous deeds with their fabric and needles. The walls were no longer bare and the heavy material kept out the chill of the night. We guys worked to fix up the church and make it a place worth living. Bella and I slept on one of the mattresses together; Jasper and Alice shared one as well as Emmett and Rosalie. The girls had also adorned our mattresses with cheap, but thick fabric. Still, the temperature dropped as winter approached. However, I was perfectly fine with our predicament.

Bella and I were free and allowed to be together. I could kiss her whenever I wanted to. I could hold her as long as I wanted to. As far as I was concerned living in the old church was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I could tell Jasper and Emmett felt the same way. Rose would sit in Emmett's lap as she did her sewing. Alice and Jasper were never more than a foot apart from each other.

Every night we would blow out the candles and for a moment we would all feel alone and insignificant. Then we would cuddle up against the love of our life and the feelings would vanish. This was my favorite time of day. I held Bella as close to me as I could. It was the most perfect feeling in the world having Bella cuddled against my chest; her warm body pressed close to mine.

Still, life was getting hard; it late fall now. We had been living on our own for about four months now. The temperature was dropping and Jasper, Emmett, and I have been trying to find wood for fires. The days were growing shorter and the wind coming off the ocean was bitter.

One morning I found Bella, standing near the edge of the hill upon which our home was perched, staring out into the ocean. She shivered in the cool morning air so I put my arms around her. She leaned her head into my chest and sighed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, I was just thinking," was her reply.

I kissed her neck. "About what?"

"About my old life. I still feel bad about leaving Charlie. And I was wondering if my mother was alive if everything would be different."

"Oh," I said surprised. She hadn't talked about her old life since we left it.

"And then I realized," she continued.

"Yes?"

"That if she was alive that means I would've escaped with her and I would've never met you. So in a way I'm glad things turned out as they did."

She turned around and smiled at me. I couldn't help myself. I kissed her as the sun exploded out of the ocean lighting up the world and turning the sky pink. We pulled back when we heard giggling. We turned around and sure enough Alice, Rose, Emmett, and Jasper were clinging to each other laughing. Bella stuck her tongue out at them which caused me to laugh. It was such a picture perfect moment. Too bad it wouldn't last.

Fall turned into winter and the temperature kept dropping. Then the worst thing possible happened: sickness invaded our lives. I woke up one morning to violent coughing. Emmett was coughing so hard that his whole body shook. A few days later he had a fever. We moved to him to another room to keep the rest of us from getting sick. Alice tried everything, but none of her remedies worked. Jasper and I pushed our mattresses together so Rose would have somewhere to sleep.

It got even worse. About a week later Emmett was too weak to move. He started throwing up, too. We kept a bucket by his bed at all times. Alice continued to try and help him. Sometime after that Alice got sick, too. We laid her down next to Emmett and kept cool clothes on both of their heads. We just didn't know what to do.

They both got worse. We risked using our little money to buy some medicine from town. At first they seemed to get better, stronger, and able to eat. Then their fever flared again and they were right back to where they started. There seemed to be nothing we could do for them. Rose cried all the time. Jasper, against our pleas, never left Alice's bedside and the life seemed to go out of him just watching her suffer.

I tried to keep Bella away from them. I told her that I wouldn't be able to live if she got sick, too; but there was nowhere for us to go. We couldn't go outside because of the freezing temperature. All we could do was hope and pray. By some miracle Jasper didn't get sick, but we knew that wouldn't last. Rosalie had simply lost the will to live. She would visit Emmett, but other than that she would just stare off into space. We were losing our family, but we couldn't do anything about it.

One day I took Bella into town. She wanted to look for some medicine; I wanted to get away from all the sadness. We strolled through town looking around at the Christmas decorations that were beginning to creep up. We bought some medicine and were heading back home when I stopped to look at something and didn't notice that Bella had kept walking. I heard her call, "Edward!" I looked up and saw that she had wandered into the road and, to my horror, a horse and carriage was storming right at her at top speed.

"Bella!" I cried out knowing it was too late, that she was too far away, but I couldn't lose her, I couldn't.

She turned around and screamed. I closed my eyes unwilling to watch when it happened. I heard the carriage run by, but when I opened my eyes she wasn't there. I looked around anxiously for her. I ran to the spot where she had been.

"Bella?" I called.

"Edward." Her voice had come from right behind me. I spun around and sighed in relief when I saw her there. I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worried.

"I'm fine."

"How did you avoid the carriage?"

"He pulled me out of the way."

"He?" I asked. Then I looked past her and saw a young man looking on silently. Watching as I made sure she was okay. He had blonde hair and was very handsome. Jealousy flared in me and then I realized that although he appeared young he had to be older than us. I also noticed that he was pale; paler even, then Bella to my surprise.

I turned to face him with one arm still firmly around Bella's waist.

"Thank you for saving her," I said gratefully.

"No problem, I acted on impulse," he said, "I couldn't stand by and watch her get crushed."

"Thanks again. I'm Edward by the way and this is Bella," I introduced us.

"My name is Carlisle," he said shaking my hand. "Are you two new here? I haven't seen you around much."

"We moved here not long ago," I said.

"Really? From where?"

I hesitated, unsure of what to answer. After all I had no idea where Bella used to live. Slaves normally didn't know what town their masters lived in unless they were sent to deliver messages. Fortunately, Bella saved me.

"We used to live a little south of here," she told him. I was about to say something when I noticed that Bella's hand was red.

"Bella what's on your hand?" I asked.

She held it up for me to see.

"Oh no," she said. There was a gash down middle of it and it was bleeding. "I must've cut it on the bottle of medicine that broke when Carlisle pushed me out of the way."

"Here let me see it," Carlisle said. When she hesitated he added, "I'm a doctor."

Bella looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

"I'm afraid you'll have to come to my house to get this bandaged up. That's where all of my supplies is," he told us.

"Of course," Bella said.

We followed Carlisle through the town. I tore some fabric from my sleeve and wrapped it around Bella's hand to slow the bleeding. Soon enough we came upon a huge mansion. I think my jaw dropped. A large tree stood in front of the house. Many an assortment of bushes surrounded the front of it. The house itself was Victorian. It was three stories high with a four story high turret and was made of brick. A second floor balcony doubled as a roof over the door with an arched entranceway.

Carlisle walked up to it and smiled before entering the archway. Double wooden doors greeted us. He held them open for us and motioned for us to enter. A colossal, crystal chandelier hung from a high ceiling; a staircase even grander than the one at Bella's house welcomed us. Everything was so light and warm that for a second I was stunned. Not only was the house huge, it was homey, too. I looked over to see if Bella was ok. She seemed bewildered by Carlisle's house, as well.

"Carlisle?" a women's voice asked. "Is that you?"

At the top of the stairway appeared a woman. She had a heart shaped face and a kind, motherly smile. Her eyes sparkled in the twinkling light. She was beautiful in her own unique way. Carlisle's eyes glowed with happiness when he saw her. I quickly searched his fingers and saw a golden ring on his left ring finger.

"Bella, Edward this is my wife Esme," Carlisle said. "Esme, this is Bella and Edward." When she gave him a curious look she added, "I'll explain later, Bella cut her hand and requires medical attention."

"Of course," Esme nodded.

Carlisle led the way down the hall and into a wing with white beds and a cabinet full of medicine and medical supplies. The wing was huge and must've occupied the whole east side of the first floor.

"Sometimes I like for my patients to stay with me so I can watch over them. I guess you could say this is the hospital wing of my house," he explained.

He went over to his cabinet and started taking out supplies while Bella sat on the bed closest to him. I sat down next to her.

"Our own hospital isn't always as organized as this room," he said as he cleaned out the cut. Bella winced and squeezed my hand. "So I allow my patients to remain here and, if their family wishes, they reside on the upper floors. This helps a lot since we get patients from the surrounding towns that don't have hospitals and the inns do get crowded between them and the travelers and sailors that pass through here."

He finished tying the bandage around her wrist.

"Thank you for everything Carlisle," Bella said.

"No problem. If you ever need me you know where I live," he replied.

Bella and I turned to go, but I hesitated. I looked around at the sterile room, the medicine, the medical equipment. It was so much different from our sorry sick room back at the church. An idea began to form in the back of my mind. I knew in my heart that since Emmett and Alice only had a few more weeks to live so it was worth a shot right? Besides Carlisle seemed like a nice man.

"Edward?" Bella's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Actually Carlisle there is something you can do for us. Well not us, our friends actually." I looked at Bella her eyes widened as she realized that I was about to reveal our secret. She looked at Carlisle then nodded her head. At this point Carlisle was looking at us with a confused expression on his face. I turned to face him fully.

"My friends, Bella, and I live in the old abandoned church on the top of the hill. You see I used to be a slave and Bella's father was my master. Bella and I met and we fell in love, but we couldn't be together. Then we found out that she was due to marry a man named Jacob Black and he was horrible to her. And I couldn't stand the thought of losing her to anyone else so we ran away," I explained.

"And your other friends?" he asked, intrigued by our story.

Bella told him about Jasper, Rose, Alice, and Emmett. "But now Alice and Emmett are really sick and we don't know what to do. Nothing makes them better and they don't have much longer," she finished.

Carlisle looked at us with the utmost sympathy. "Of course," he answered. "I'll bring them all in right away."

"Really?" Bella said surprised.

"Sure, I'll bring all of them and I'll do what I can to help Alice and Emmett. And perhaps you may do my wife and me a favor as well?"

"Anything," Bella said as fast as she could.

"Maybe you can all live here with Esme and me. We have wanted children for so long, but Esme is unable to have them. So what do you say? Would you like to live here with us?"

Bella and I looked at each other surprised at our good luck. Perhaps everything would get better from now on.

I looked Carlisle straight in the eye, smiled for the first time in a long time, and said, "Ok."

"Thank you so much. That sounds lovely," Bella added.

I put my arm around Bella's waste and looked at her. _Yeah, _I thought, _things were definitely going to get better. _

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**So how was the final chapter??? did u like it, love it, hate it??? Um anyway like i said there's gonna be an epilogue. I tried to make this chapter nice and long as well as tie up everything. YAY carlisle and esme are finally in it!! I tried to describe Carlisle's house exactly like the picture but just in case i have a picture of it. The link is on my profile please check it out it's actually a very historical house that was used by George Washington during the Amercian Revolution (i got that info off google images it came w/ the picture). So anyway i gotta go my laptop is dying. Anyway please review they make me update faster. The epilogue should be up around the end of June beginning of July. See ya!**


	19. Epilogue

** Yea yea i promised this a while ago but i have had such a busy summer btw softball and volleyball and trying 2 hang with my friends. So anyway here it is: The epilogue. I hope you enjoy it. And i hope you liked this story.  
Disclaimer: Twilight isnt mine. Never has been mine. And never will be mine.** **And this is the last time i will say it for this story.**

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Epilogue

**(EPOV)**

I feel as though I have struck gold. In the same year I have had the best two experiences of my life. Those experiences were meeting Bella, the love of my life, and Carlisle.

When I met Bella I didn't think life could get better. I had found true love and I was so joyful. It didn't matter that we were from different classes. As long as we had each other, we could overcome anything. On the downside, I had no way of supporting her. That's when I had my second break: meeting Carlisle. He gave us a home and helped Emmett, Jasper, and I find jobs so we could support our loves. That's right; Alice and Emmett are healthy and happy, also. Carlisle found the right combination of medicine to cure them.

I leaned against our windowsill thinking over the last four years. We have all been living with Carlisle and his wonderful wife Esme. To our surprise Rose and Emmett were the first to get married. After two years of working at the hospital Emmett finally made enough money to buy Rose a beautiful diamond engagement ring. They had their wedding five months later. I was very surprised at how fast those two fell in love, but according to Bella, Rose was getting tired of the endless courting and just wanted to find the right man and settle down. So I guess it wasn't that surprising that they were the first couple to get hitched.

Alice and Jasper, who have been together the longest, are also married now. Jasper proposed a few months after Emmett and Rosalie's wedding. They were married last year. Whereas Emmett and Rose's relationship was all passion Jasper and Alice's were full of sweet kisses and gentle touches.

And as for Bella and I…

"Edward what are you doing up this early?" called the voice of an angel. I turned around to give my wife a kiss. That's right Bella and I are also married. I felt that I couldn't wait any longer to tie the knot so the day after Alice and Jasper's wedding I took her for a walk around the town. Then I brought her up to the hill upon which the abandoned church sat and we looked out at the ocean. The sunset behind us turned the sky gold and pink and that's when I asked the big question. She said yes and kissed me. That was the happiest moment of my life.

"I was just thinking over the last four years," was my reply.

She sighed happily. "Yeah they were the happiest four years of my life."

There was a peaceful silence during which both of us did a little reminiscing.

"Do you want to come with me to the market today? We need some food for dinner."

I pulled Bella tightly against my chest and whispered in her ear, "Of course." I felt her shiver and smiled knowing the effect I had on her.

A little while later I was dressed in a simple white cotton shirt and pants whilst Bella wore her pale pink satin gown. We walked through the streets which were already bustling with merchants setting up their stalls for selling. Bella and I walked through the rows of food displayed in the usual market style. I hung back and watched as Bella picked through the foods that she needed and haggled with the seller.

As we turned to leave I ran into a woman nearly knocking her over. I grabbed her arm, gently steadying her. As I let out a stream of apologizes the woman looked up and gasped. That's when I realized that I recognized her.

"Edward?" she said as though she couldn't believe her eyes. Then her gaze slipped over to Bella. "Miss Bella?"

"Mora!" Bella exclaimed embracing her. "How are you?"

Mora smiled. "I'm great. How about you?" Then she saw the ring on Bella's finger and she gasped. "You guys are married? Congratulations!"

Mora hugged Bella first then me. "You have to come by the shop! Riley and Ben would be delighted to see you!"

"Riley and Ben are here?" I asked curiously.

"Of course follow me," she called over her shoulder. I grabbed Bella's hand and we followed. I felt great knowing that my friends were safe. I couldn't wait to find out what happened to them.

A few hours later Bella and I were sitting in a Smith Shop and had just finished exchanging stories with our friends. When Ben had run for it he kept wandering until he found a road which had led him here. Riley and Mora had had a bit more trouble. They had been chased by some of Charlie's men, but were able to give them the slip.

We stayed past lunch and then, with promises to visit again soon, we left to return home.

"Well wasn't that a pleasant surprise?" Bella said. I nodded. "I'm glad that they're all alright."

"Me too," I said.

We were walking through town back to Carlisle's house when someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me and Bella into an alley. I whipped around to see a small girl with jet black hair and eyes too wise for her age.

"Fayth!" Bella exclaimed, hugging the girl. She held her at arms length examining her. Bella's face creased as she looked her over. "What happened to you?"

It was a good question to ask because Fayth looked disheveled. Her black locks were in disarray, falling out of her ponytail. They were snarled and entangled with twigs and leaves. Her white potato sack dress was streaked with mud and torn. Her arms, legs, and face were covered with scratches and dried blood. It looked as though she had gone running through the forest.

"Uhhh…well…" Fayth struggled to find her words. "I don't know how to tell you this…"

"Why don't you come to our house so you can wash up and put something on those scratches? Then you can tell us what happened." I suggested.

We started walking back again when she blurted out, "There's someone that you're going to meet soon. I don't know when, but there's going to be trouble with..." Fayth looked up staring at something, "…him."

Bella and I followed her gaze to a tall muscular man. His skin was deeply tanned and his long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. I recognized him at once and from Bella's sharp intake of breathe I knew she did too. He was no longer that gangly, awkward looking boy that we knew. His eyes were cruel and hard. He sneered as he noticed us.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here. I must say it is a surprise to see you here. Now I know the kind of scum that lives in this city."

"Take that back Black." I yelled.

"Never, you bride stealing slave," he threw back.

"I didn't steal her. She ran from you. Bella never loved you. She loves me."

"I should kill you for kidnapping a rich man's daughter!" Jacob threatened.

"I should kill you for forcing yourself on Bella!" I yelled back. I stepped a few steps in front of Bella and Fayth protectively and held up my fists. Jacob smiled evilly and did the same.

"Edward," Bella said in a warning tone, "we're attracting a lot of attention."

It was true. A crowd of people had begun to gather in a circle, eager to see what was going on. I looked around at them. Then I heard Fayth scream my name and I looked up in time to see Jacob swing a fist at me. Quickly I ducked and punched him in the stomach. As he doubled over I followed up with an uppercut punch. His head snapped back as my fist collided with his jaw. I had held this anger back for too long. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella pull Fayth back to the edge of the crowd.

With a cry of rage Jacob charged me again. My father had taught me to fight when I was little. Those skills came back to me now and I knew exactly what to do. I side-stepped Jacob and he freight trained past me. _Fuel his anger, let it be his defeat,_ I recalled my father's advice. I laughed mockingly.

"Is that all you got?" I taunted, "A child could beat you."

I smirked as his eyes lit up with anger. My smirk only further enraged him. He charged me again, but this time I roundhouse kicked him and he flew to the ground where he spat out a tooth. He wiped blood off his mouth then picked up at crate and threw it at me. The crate collided with me and I fell to the ground. Jacob jumped at me, but I pulled my knees up and stuck my feet into his gut, launching him over my body. He didn't get up this time so I stood up and walked over to Bella and Fayth, limping from my encounter with the crate. Bella smiled at me, but I heard Jacob call my name.

I whipped around in time to see him holding a revolver and pointing it at me. The crowd screamed and scrambled away.

"I told you not to mess with me," he snarled loading it.

Several things happened at once, Bella screamed; Jacob put his finger to the trigger. Then Fayth stepped in front of me, raised her hands, and cried out something that sounded like, "Ni ha shak!"

Green energy shot from her hands into the ground at Jacob's feet. At first nothing happened. Startled by Fayth's actions Jacob froze. Suddenly the ground began to tremble. Now frightened, Jacob lowered the gun and stared at the floor. Fayth just grinned as roots shot out of the ground and began to wrap themselves around Jacob's legs. Bella and I watched with wide eyes as they climbed up his body until he was bound by the roots, unable to move.

"What on earth? Get me out of…!" was all he could say before a root clamped itself over his mouth, effectively shutting him up.

"Don't even try to hurt my friends," said Fayth before turning to us. "We can leave now," she said sweetly.

Bella and I smiled and walked with her to our house.

"So, you going to be here for a while?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. "My mother and I are moving here. When I had a vision of Jacob I ran ahead to warn you guys."

Well, that explained why she looked so banged up.

So, Jacob was arrested for illegally handling a weapon and threatening someone with it, although the police could never explain how he had been tied up with tree roots. They thought he was insane when he told them that it was a witch child that had done it, but since everyone had run when he pulled out the gun no one could prove it. Fayth and her mom moved in nearby and they visit often. We see Ben, Mora, and Riley from time to time. We go out for lunch and just talk. As for the rest of us living with Carlisle, we all lived happily to the end of our days.

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**Well there you go. That's the end of the story. I really hope you liked it and i would appreciate it if you all reviewed. I want to thank all my reviewers especially those that have been there from the beginning. I won't name names but you all know who you are. You guys are the best. Anyway you guys came so close to having to wait another week for this. I finished the chapter today and when i went to upload it my internet was disconnected. So thank my dad cause i begged my computer for 2 hours before he literally came pressed one button on his computer and my internet reconnected. So thank you father. Now i'm heading off for vacation in an hour. I hope i have plenty of reviews when i get back. I'm gonna take a break before writting my next story. It won't be twilight but you're welcome to read it anyway. Good bye for now.**

**HealingSpringWaters**


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